


Beyond the Crazy Science

by CJRiley



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-17 14:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11853423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJRiley/pseuds/CJRiley
Summary: Following the events of the Final Trip, Cosima and Delphine find their future threatened as a charismatic new leader emerges to unite the remnants of Neolution.When Cosima discovers Delphine on the brink of life and death, she must utilize an untested new software to traverse her beloved's unconscious in order to awaken her and discover the secrets she's hiding.





	1. The Prototype

**Note:** _The events listed in this story take place in the months after _[Follow the Crazy Science](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11437494/chapters/25630233)_._

 

How did it all come to this, how did this dream fall into tatters, burn into ashes? When did it begin: the distrust, the insecurities, the turmoil…

The reasons, the memories came in pieces, and if she was to put them back together again, perhaps the picture would become whole…

 

Cosima Niehaus sits in the driver’s seat of her car, her hand shaking as she stares into her smartphone. It should have been so easy, so straightforward. With such life-changing news, the scientist should have just called the love of her life and ask her what she thought.

She takes a deep breath, turns on her phone, and calls her plucky, British-born sister Sarah instead.

“Isn’t it obvious what you should do?” Sarah asks. “What does Delphine think?”

Dr. Delphine Cormier, her beloved. Why couldn’t she just swallow her pride and call her? “I haven’t…”

For the third time during the call, her friend Scott is dialing in.

“Hold up, sis. This might be urgent.” She answers the call. “Hey, can I talk to you…”

“You’re finished with the presentation, right? Listen, I need you at the hospital right now. Call me five minutes before you reach the front desk.”

“What’s going on? Who’s at the hospital?” Cosima’s stomach turns. Who else could it be? Today was her fiancée's doctor's appointment, but she hadn't expected anything less than a checkup.

“Delphine. She’s not waking up.”

“What happened to her? Wasn’t she just with you last night?”

“Are you sure? I didn't see her at all yesterday,” Scott replies. “You need to come right away. I’ll lead you to her.”

Cosima starts the ignition and returns to Sarah’s call. “Can’t talk right now. Delphine is at the hospital, and I need to see her right away.”

“Christ, what's going on? I’ll take a cab and meet you there.”

 

Cosima’s mind is a blur as they wind their way through the hospital. Scott leads the sisters downstairs, to a ward guarded by a plainclothes officer.

“Relatives,” Scott explains and the officer waves Cosima and Sarah through. The fact was they were neither, but it helped that their friend worked at the hospital.

Delphine lies on the operating table, half her face wrapped in bandages. Cosima rushes over to her side, barely registering the shock of what she has witnessed. Slowly, the scientist reaches down to her beloved’s hand, only to find it tightly bandaged as well.

“She stopped by the hospital this morning and took a blood test,” Scott explains. “Then a few hours ago, a group of thugs broke into her ward and pummeled her. They fled before security came, and she was transported down here.

“She’s in stable condition. A few broken bones, but she’ll be all right. What’s more alarming is what they discovered during the blood test. She’s been poisoned, apparently many months ago, though we don't know from what. The poison worked its way through her nervous system before virtually erasing all traces of itself. I'm afraid if she doesn’t regain consciousness within the next 24 hours, she may just remain this way…”

“Poisoned…thugs…what the hell?” Sarah asks.

A young researcher knocks on the door and enters. “Mr. Smith, I have the Moirae.”

“Excellent,” Scott replies. “Drop it here.”

“That’s an expensive chunk of equipment,” Cosima notes. “Why are you…”

“I know it’s a prototype, but I didn’t know how else we’re going to wake Delphine up. And if this doesn’t work, at least we can ask her unconscious state some questions, find out what might have poisoned her and who did this to her.”

“But who is going to…”

“You can,” Scott opens a file on his laptop. “This device won’t allow anyone who hasn’t been granted authorization to access another person’s unconscious state. But I still have the authorization agreement Delphine signed the first time you two tested it.”

Cosima takes a deep breath. “Whatever it takes. Tell me what I need to do.”

Scott fits Cosima into the equipment, connecting the wires between Delphine and the scientist’s heads. “Close your eyes. Focus on the beeping noise. And follow my instructions.”

The scientist does as she is told, taking deep breaths and relaxing her body. What had transpired this past year, what had led them to this point? What did her beloved know that she did not?


	2. City of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the chapter forward, we will begin with a flashback between their engagement and the present day from Cosima's perspective. Following the dinkus (***), we return to the present day where Cosima visits a memory from Delphine's past.

_She gave you life. And for that, I’m forever indebted to her._

 

Just a year ago, they had been experiencing the highs of their engagement, speaking excitedly of their future. They sit on a train, watching the scenery pass them by on their way to Delphine’s hometown of Lille.

“Okay, so.” Cosima opens up a backpack and hands Delphine a bottle of orange juice. “Biked across the countryside, check. Killer chocolate croissants in Paris, check. Inoculated three clones along the way, check. And now, time to meet the parents.”

“Just my mother," the French doctor replies. "My father never responded. Whooo…I am not looking forward to this reunion.”

“I’m sure she misses you. Look, after we exchange pleasantries, there’s so much else we have to look forward to. Spontaneous ice cream dates. Hiking expeditions. Nice cold showers together…”

Delphine almost chokes on her juice. “Cosima the water conservationist…”

“Just doing my part,” Cosima grins. “And need I mention, we still have a wedding to plan. Right after my dissertation, I promise.”

The scientist felt guilty for putting off the wedding, but she wanted to devote herself completely to it. It was a miracle Stanford had allowed her to transfer her PhD credits from the University of Minnesota and that she got to work with the head of the department, Professor Rothman. And now she was almost done, and Delphine had a job waiting for her in San Jose the following week. Everything was lining up for their future together.

A few hours later, they arrive before Delphine’s mother’s house.

“Ready?” Cosima asks, holding a bottle of gift wine in one hand. “Is there anything I should know before introducing myself?”

“Just be yourself. It should be okay.”

“That I can do. I mean, she’s not…you know, homophobic or anything, right?” Of course not, if she was surely the doctor would have mentioned it.

“Growing up, she didn’t seem like a fan. And now that she’s with my stepfather, who’s an ardent Catholic, she may not be too friendly…”

“Did you tell her you’re engaged…to a woman?”

“Well…”

“For Christ’s sake, Delphine! For Christ’s sake!”

“Definitely don’t say that.”

“So we’re heading into this cold turkey?!”

“Hey.” Delphine reaches over and pulls Cosima’s hand into hers. “I don’t know how she will react, but let’s make the best out of it.” They walk hand-in-hand to the front door and the doctor rings the doorbell.

Delphine’s stepfather opens the door. “You’ve returned!” he says in French. “A pleasure to see you again. And you’ve brought a friend! Welcome!”

They step inside and the doctor introduces her beloved. “This is Cosima. She’s American and doesn’t speak French but she can understand some of it.”

“ _Bienvenue_ ,” Delphine’s mother says, taking Cosima’s jacket and ushering her to the dinner table.

“ _Merci,_ _madame_.”

“Please, Evonne is fine," she replies in French. "And this is my husband, Lucien.”

There is politeness and pleasantries all around as they gather at the dining room table. Cosima follows Delphine’s lead in the dinner conversation while wondering when she would ever break the news.

Finally, Evonne gets to the point. “We hardly hear from you anymore, Delphine. The money you’ve been sending, it’s not enough to live on. And there was a period of time when you sent us nothing. Lucien’s pension doesn’t stretch that far in today’s economy.”

 _Do you even know what your daughter has been through?_ Cosima longs to respond but holds her tongue. She was, after all, the guest.

“I’ll be starting a new position as a physician,” Delphine replies matter-of-factly. “I’ll send money when I’m able.”

“You were making good money as a director. Why did you quit? You should hurry up and find yourself a man or else no one will want you.”

“Who said I haven't found someone?”

Evonne arches an eyebrow. “What’s his name?”

Delphine places her hand over Cosima’s. “This is my fiancée. I'm in love with her, and while I would appreciate your acceptance and support for our relationship, we will be fine even if you disagree.”

A pregnant pause, and the air is thick with tension. Cosima experiences a heavy weight on her chest, and her eyes do not leave the table.

“Oh, not what we were anticipating, but she seems like a nice woman,” Lucien finally responds. “I’m glad you finally found someone.”

Cosima looks up in surprise, heartened by a positive reception.

“What did you expect us to do? To applaud and wish you a good life, to accept that this is normal?” Evonne slowly shakes her head, her body heaving with anger. “I raised you without a father for so many years, and this is how to repay me. You take off to America, decide to be gay, and accept her hand.”

“I was the one who proposed,” Delphine shoots back.

Cosima reaches under the table and places a hand on Delphine’s leg to reassure her, and she feels her fiancée shaking in anger.

“What about Benoit? He was such a nice man…”

“He had a wife, and children…”

“He had a stable job! And what is the woman you brought here? Still a student! You think a woman can support you, complement you, protect you?”

“Cosima is everything to me and more. You know nothing about what we've been through yet you dismiss our relationship entirely! Goodness mother, since when did you start caring about what’s best for me? "

“You won’t ever have my blessing. I won’t allow it.”

“Evonne, please…” Lucien tries to calm his wife down. “Our generations are different. If Delphine thought this through…”

“No. I won’t have any homosexuals in this residence. Get out.”

With her stomach in knots, Cosima slowly turns to her beloved and wonders how she would respond. How could a lady who had shown her such kindness one moment be ushering them out the other?

The doctor faces the scientist, returning to English. “I’m sorry. We have to leave.”

 

“What happened to you back there, I’m so sorry,” Cosima tells her fiancée as they search for an inn to stay the night. “It’s not right.”

“It’s not the first time my mother has lost her mind.”

“Look.” The scientist grips the doctor’s hand. “She gave you life. And for that, I’m forever indebted to her.”

“She’s lucky she has Lucien. But her words…I’ve stopped letting it bother me.”

“How do you do it? Not give a damn what others think about you?”

“It’s not common, is it?” Delphine grins. “You have to focus on what you know to be right. Sometimes people will come around, and sometimes they won’t, but that's not my problem. I’d forgotten how fortunate we’ve been, to be free of others’ judgment and to just love each other. It’s part of the cost, perhaps, to be together.”

“It should be easier when we return to the Bay Area and you meet my parents. I’m positive it’ll go over much better than this.” Cosima smiles, gives Delphine a hug, and they kiss before continuing their walk.

 

***

 

“All right, Cosima, can you hear me?” Scott is speaking into his headset while Sarah sits by his side.

“Yes, loud and clear,” Cosima says, but no voice leaves her body. She has entered Delphine’s unconscious, and darkness envelopes her body.

“Good. I’m going to start by searching for an impactful moment in Delphine’s life, one that triggers strong emotions. Those are the easiest to latch onto. Hang tight.”

A few minutes later, Cosima finds herself sitting on a subway train, her body vibrating as it glides across the tracks. The room is dark, save for Delphine sitting in the distance, surrounded by a circle of light.

“Go on,” Cosima hears Scott say. “Move next to her. Talk to her.”

The scientist does as she’s told and sits across from the doctor, moving into the light.

“So everything in the light, that’s her consciousness?” Cosima thinks.

“Yes. Her mind is in the moment as well, so it’s possible she doesn’t recognize you.”

Delphine looks up from her book, makes eye contact with Cosima, and smiles before quickly averting her eyes. It was her all right, but with a slightly more youthful face and curls, a departure from the straight hair she adopted for the past year.

Cosima looks out the window, watching the sun set as the train transports itself above the city. _Was that the Eiffel tower?_ They are in Paris.

“ _Bonsoir_ ,” Cosima says, facing the passenger. “ _Est-ce un bon livre_?”

Delphine looks up for a second, laughs, and then returns to the book.

_Seriously? Who would be stupid enough to fall head over heels for this woman?_

“American?” the passenger finally asks.

 _Yes, and all the negative stereotypes that come with it._ “How did you know?”

“I had a suspicion,” Delphine says, her French accent thicker than Cosima remembered.

A voice looms over the intercom. “This is my stop.” The doctor stuffs the book into her bag.

“Oh,” Cosima thinks. “Scott, now what?”

“Follow her,” he replies. “But maybe stay outside of the light so that way she doesn’t think you’re stalking her.”

Delphine heads outside and breaks out into a smile. Whatever was going to happen, it would be a very emotional moment, Cosima knew.

An older man, perhaps in his mid-30s, stands next to a barrier. He breaks into a smile, and Delphine rushes into his arms. _What the heck?_

“ _Mon amour_ ,” He lifts her up and kisses her several times. “ _Je ne peux plus attendre_.” He gets down on one knee.

_The hell…Well, there’s no way she’s going to say yes to this chump._

“ _Oui!_ ” Delphine holds his head in her hands and the man quickly stands up to kiss her. Her hands quiver as he slips on the ring. They kiss again. “ _Je t'aime pour toujours_ , _Benoit_.”

_That’s what she told me! Did this really happen?_

The man embraces the doctor and rocks her from side to side, like a child and his teddy bear.

“This is not right,” the scientist thinks. “I’m going to talk to her.”

“Cosima,” Scott interrupts. “You can’t just go barging in interrogating her. She hasn’t met you yet. Her English may not even be that good. Don’t confront her.”

“What the hell is this supposed to be, anyways?”

“It’s…her happiest memory.”

“Seriously? That’s her happiest one?”

“Or maybe just one of them. It’s impactful in some way. Look, we both know it didn’t work out in the end. Unless…is she married?”

“No, this is the guy her mom wanted. He went back to his wife and kids.” Cosima hears her beloved ask him about his wife. He assures her that the separation has virtually happened all but in name.

“Still, don’t you think that’s a bit dodgy?” Cosima hears Sarah say. “She went after a guy who she knew was married.”

The scientist shakes her head. “Are we done with the test run? I want to know what happened at the hospital and who did this to her.”

“Hold your horses. There are a lot of memories in here,” Scott says. “Let’s go for something more recent.”

Cosima watches the scene vanish and closes her eyes.


	3. Meet the Hendrixes

_You can’t deny the foundation of your relationship was built on lies and that’s how it will always be._

 

“Donnie, happy birthday big guy!” Cosima wraps her brother-in-law in an embrace. “Delphine sends you her love.”

After their visit to France, Cosima and Delphine headed their separate ways. Cosima traveled to Alison Hendrix’s house for Donnie’s birthday party, while Delphine flew to San Jose to start her new job.

“So glad to see you!” Donnie replies. “Too bad she couldn’t make it. I have exciting news for the two of you.” He picks up a certificate by the tips of his fingers. “I’m ordained to perform weddings now. I can marry you two lovebirds!”

“For us? That means more than you know!” The scientist gives him a quick peck on the cheek. “By the way, where’s Alison?”

“I think she was talking to Sarah,” Donnie peers out into the yard. “They don’t seem too happy though…”

Cosima walks outside and spots Helena picking up her twins and carrying them swiftly to the safety of the garage. Helena may have been a serial killer, but she recognized a vicious girl fight when she saw one.

“I’m just saying, think about it!” Alison exclaims, exasperated. “We can’t support everyone on just one income. Our kids are going off to college someday. And with Helena and the twins, you know Jesse recently left her.”

“If she’s such a burden, I said Helena could come live with us!” Sarah shoots back.

“It’s not about the money! I mean, yes, there’s money involved…”

“We know what Neolution and Dyad is capable of, Alison! I say we leave things as they are. It may not satisfy our self-righteous natures, but I’d rather they keep the hell away from our lives as much as possible, thank you very much! We bring money into the mix and they'll make sure there is hell to pay. What would it do to our legal case? Then it becomes all about the money.”

“We don’t get a single penny for our troubles, it’s not right!”

“Where does it end, Alison? When the people at Dyad drag out the case, what if they find out about the you-know-what in the garage? Or look up all the people Helena…you know…?”

“They were a multinational conglomerate, the billions have to be there somewhere!”

“Dyad is bankrupt! They were bought out by this start-up that’s not even making any money right now…I would rather we focus on our emancipation!”

“Oh come on, our lawyer said that’s pretty much a formality at this point! No jury is going to acquit Dyad.”

Sarah glances over to Cosima. “You finally came. Talk some…sense into that woman.” She stands up and leaves them alone.

Cosima walks over and takes a seat. “It sounded pretty heated.”

“You agree with me, right?” Alison asks. “It’s just not right they get away with all this without so much as offering a BOGO free coupon.”

“Sarah has a point,” Cosima replies. “Sometimes you have to let the bastards win. If we let Dyad off easy, they’re less likely to kick the hornet’s nest and more likely to leave us alone. They'll know if they mess with us, we can take them back to court for all the other shit they’ve done. I’m willing to let bygones be bygones if it means we can live out the rest of our lives in peace.

“I mean, I get it. It’s not fair and they owe us a fortune. But it is what it is. Not to say that the money wouldn’t come in handy. Delphine and I are just starting our new lives together and…”

“Oh yes, she had to head back early,” Alison notes. “How is…everything? Is she…trustworthy?”

Cosima raises an eyebrow. “Yes. I wouldn’t marry her unless she had my complete trust.”

“Well, I’m just saying because, you know…I used to warn you. And you wouldn’t listen but…she did betray you and sell our names out to Dyad. And all the other sketchy things she did.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. She never acted out of self-interest.”

“But you can’t deny the foundation of your relationship was built on lies and that’s how it will always be. And I say, once a liar, always a liar. People usually don’t change; it’s a fact.”

“What is this about? I’ve done almost nothing for her! She saved my life and has never once asked for anything in return, not even a thank you…You gave her your blessing!”

“What was I supposed to do? Helena was going to agree with whatever Sarah wanted, and it would have been two against one. How long did you two really know each other? I mean, maybe it’s just the maternal, protective side of me but…”

“Don’t give me that crap. I’m technically a month older than you! What about you and Donnie? How long did you two know each other before marriage? Wasn’t he monitoring you?”

“That’s different! He never sold us out, and once he discovered what he was doing, he quit.”

“Alison, I know you mean well, but it’s not that. Delphine is the love of my life, and this is my decision.” And that was that.

“Just…don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Alison stands up and returns to the house.

 

“One hell of a party, wouldn’t you say?” Sarah asks later that night. She is driving them back home as Cosima sits in the seat beside her, their minds still stewing over their conversations with Alison.

“I don’t completely disagree with Alison about the money,” Cosima says.

“Oh, don’t you start.”

“I’m not talking about paying off my new apartment, or my studies, or the wedding. But I do feel this sense of urgency inoculating all the clones. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for us to save up the money to rescue them. A settlement could help.”

“No, no we can’t do it. Once they go through Helena’s records…And they’ll find some way to use Kira as leverage. I can’t believe they weren’t all locked up.”

“A lot of the evidence was destroyed. I hear even Van Lier is making his way back to the respectable scientific community.” Cosima sighs. “I don’t get why Alison is so riled up about Delphine all of a sudden.”

“Are you really that daft?” Sarah laughs. “Really, our resident geek monkey thinks this is entirely out of the blue?”

“Are you going to spill the reason or not?”

“Alison knew you the longest, and she paid your way through university. Then next thing she knows, you get engaged and ask this British chick who came out of nowhere to be your Maid of Honor.”

“No, it can’t be that. I mean, she even volunteered with the wedding planning and her husband is officiating…”

“Exactly. She does all this work and receives almost none of the credit. She’s got a lot on her plate and several mouths to feed. Not to mention a stubborn sister standing in the way of millions. Her millions.”

“If she has a problem with my decision, she needs to take it out on me, not my fiancée.”

“Well unfortunately, we can’t all go about our lives with zero insecurities, all right? We’re human.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Forget it.”

“No, you think I don’t have any insecurities?”

“Oh, I know you don’t, Cos. When have you ever apologized for anything? And when you do, it’s always, oh I shouldn’t have trusted this person…but when have you ever felt you actually did something wrong?”

“I blamed myself when I thought Delphine was dead. And the fact I wasn’t able to figure out the cure in time to save many of the Leda sisters…”

“Okay, look. I envy you,” Sarah parks the car in front of the house she shared with Mrs. S, her adoptive mother. “Here you are, the only Leda sister with any discernible talent to offer the world. And here I am…I’m a shit mum to Kira, I live on while many of our friends do not, and I can’t help but feel like I’m just an impostor. Beth was the one who should have led you all, she would have done better than I would.” Sarah breaks down over the steering wheel.

Cosima slowly reaches over and places a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Hey,” she says softly. “Beth…she’s not with us, and there is no point in comparing. You did your best and you saved us all. Kira and S are proud of you, we all are.”

Sarah sits up, and the scientist offers her some tissues. “I know after all the shit we’ve been through, I’m supposed to be strong, supposed to have it together…”

“We’re all in the same boat called Humanity," Cosima replies. "No one has it all figured out. But we can love each other and support each other through it.”

“Okay,” Sarah breathes out. “When we get inside, we’ll give Alison a call and sort it all out.”

 

***

 

“Where are you taking me next, Scott?” Cosima thinks.

“I’m going to search for her saddest memory, so we establish her emotional baselines,” Scott says. “That way I can more easily search for everything in between.”

Cosima notices a light appear in the distance and Delphine walking over to Felix’s loft. The scientist sees herself sliding open the door, a foolish grin on her face. _Oh no, Sarah gets to witness this moment?_

“Someone looks happy,” Sarah notes, as if on cue.

“I’m keeping my promise to love all of your sisters equally,” Delphine tells Cosima in her memory. “But to do that, I can’t do this.”

Cosima watches herself shake her head, not quite comprehending her beloved’s words. When it finally hits her, she turns away. “Okay. I get it.”

“We all have our part to play. Me, Sarah, Alison…but yours is to cure. Yourself and all of your sisters.”

“I love you.”

Delphine continues to speak until Cosima slides the door shut. The doctor places a hand on over her mouth and slumps against the wall, struggling to breathe as she grips her stomach, collapsing in tears.

The light disappears and the memory ends.

“I remember this moment,” Cosima thinks. “If I had known it was that painful for her…” She spent the weeks afterward actively “not-pining,” as she had put it, drowning her sorrows in French cigarettes and Eskimo pies.

“Stay focused, Cosima. Remember why we’re here. We have three areas we need to figure out. First of all: when was Delphine poisoned, what was it, and what is the antidote? Secondly: who attacked her and why? And lastly: something is unsettling her mind and preventing her from waking up. And that needs to be resolved.”

“Then I think we need to begin at the hospital.”


	4. Professor Niehaus

_I love her, she loves me, and that’s all that matters in this world as far as I’m concerned._

 

“Millie, I’m back!” Cosima kneels down with her arms wide open, only to find the family cat dashing away.

“Don’t take it personally,” Cosima’s mother says. “It’s been such a long time and besides, you didn’t bring any kibble with you.”

“Never liked that cat,” the scientist grumbles. She had just returned from the airport and was visiting her parents at their houseboat in Berkeley.

“Is that sour grapes I sense?” Cosima’s father appears and wraps his arms around her. “How’s our little urchin?”

“I told you not to call me that!” She breaks free from his grip, turns around, and gives him a proper hug. “Mom told you Delphine is joining us for dinner tonight, right?”

“I may have heard something about this mysterious French doctor. I’ll have you know I’ve been brushing up on the language.”

“Please. Don’t even attempt a dad joke in French.”

“She’s here now,” Cosima’s mother says.

“Already? I thought her shift ended late.”

“Hello Professor Niehaus,” Delphine greets them sheepishly, holding up a box of cupcakes. “Cosima tells me you loved baked goods so…”

“Well hello hello.” Cosima’s dad offers a handshake. “Call me Gene. This here is my wife, Sally.”

“How do you do?” Sally takes the box of sweets from her. “Cosima speaks glowingly of you.”

“Oh does she?” Delphine shoots her fiancée a devious glance.

“Why are you surprised?” Cosima smiles and kisses her on the cheek.

“You are family here,” Sally says. “Why don’t you have a seat? We were just about to get started.”

The dinner conversation runs smoothly, at least at first, with Delphine opening up to Cosima’s parents and laughing at Gene’s jokes.

“I’m glad at least someone at this table thinks I’m funny,” Gene says, winking at Cosima.

“He really is,” the doctor adds, but the scientist doesn’t appear too amused. Something didn’t seem quite right, too much alcohol was flowing and their laughter only masked the underlying tension.

“So Delphine,” Gene says, pointing to her. “If I have this correctly, you’re the one who proposed.” The doctor nods. “Now I’m not old-fashioned by any means, but shouldn’t you have asked for my blessing?”

Delphine opens her mouth to speak but Cosima interjects. “That’s not her fault. I hadn’t introduced her to you until now, and she did ask my sisters.”

“You have sisters?” Sally asks.

“Yeah, the clone experiment I was talking to you about. It’s a long story.”

“I mean, what’s done is done and you seem like a pleasant woman,” Gene continues. “And I must say, I really was surprised to meet you. I mean you’re so…” The doctor waits in anticipation. “So feminine.”

Cosima raises an eyebrow. “I can be fairly feminine sometimes too, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, but…I just didn’t expect you would…go for a straight white woman, that’s all.”

The scientist feels her blood boil as Sally moves to diffuse the situation. “Gene, a person’s sexuality is none of our business.”

“I mean, Cosima did mention you were the first woman she’s ever been with,” Gene continues. “How many men…”

“It doesn’t matter to me how she identifies,” Cosima says. “There’s beauty in not having to fit inside a neat little box for public affirmation. I love her, she loves me, and that’s all that matters in this world as far as I’m concerned.”

“I mean, I get why you love her,” Gene says. “Look at her! Is it true, that the French are good in bed?”

This was the moment she dreaded, when her father would return to his flippant ways.

“Dad, that is completely inappropriate and out of line.”

“Gene,” Sally adds. “Show a little respect. She’s family now.”

“I’m just trying to make conversation,” Gene replies, taking another swig of brandy.

“And this is the only way to do it?” Cosima asks.

“So who wears the pants in…”

“You know what, maybe we should start heading back.” The scientist stands up. “Thank you, mom and dad, for hosting us, but it is getting quite late and Delphine has an early shift tomorrow.”

“It’s all right,” Delphine says. “I want to get to know your parents. They are lovely company.”

_What?_

“I don’t feel awkward. I like them. Don’t worry about me.” She winks.

 _How does she do it?_ Cosima slowly sits back down.

Delphine respectfully attends to the conversation as Gene changes his tone and the talk turns to science. By the end of the night, they had accepted her as part of the family.

“I must say, I used to wish Cosima introduced us to you earlier, so we would know what to expect,” Sally says. “But now I only wish you were in our lives sooner. But you have a long day tomorrow, I take it?”

“Oh, no. I quit.”

“What?” Cosima asks. “When?”

“An hour before I arrived.”

“Really? You didn’t even call me. I had to find out, this way?”

Delphine sighs.

“You couldn’t even text me during your break? We paid for our apartment with your advance. We were able to sign the lease because of your job…Wasn’t being a doctor your dream?”

Truth was, Cosima didn’t want her fiancée to work with anything remotely related to Ambrosia, the serum granting eternal life whose creation almost cost them their lives. A job at the hospital seemed like the best option to keep her away while fulfilling her ambition.

“It is a dream, yes, but I wanted to go into corporate if possible.” The doctor offers no other defense, and the scientist stares at her for a few more seconds before turning away.

“Well then,” Gene clasps his hands together. “Anyone have room for dessert?”

 

Delphine heads straight to bed as soon as they return, and Cosima opens her laptop to review her coursework. Being together in the real world would require concessions from both ends, the scientist knew, and her fiancée was every bit as complicated as she was.

The next morning, Cosima awakens to the ring of her smartphone. She rubs her eyes, reaches over to her side, and notices Delphine is missing.

She answers her phone. “Hello?”

During the call, the scientist can hear banging from the kitchen – the sizzle of the pan, the buzz of the blender, and…was that the beeping of the smoke detector?

“Are you sure?” Cosima asks the caller while peering through the bedroom door. “Okay. Love you.” She pockets her phone, opens the door, and smiles. “Morning, love.”

Delphine looks up from her laptop on the kitchen counter, a pile of failed concoctions laid out beside her. “ _Bonjour, ma chèrie_. You know, these videos online make everything look easy.”

Cosima bursts out in laughter. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. How about we head out for brunch?”

Over a meal of pancakes and French toast, they stay mostly silent. The scientist didn’t want to bring up the job at the hospital, a topic that clearly frustrated her fiancée. And the doctor was concerned she had crossed another line, giving the impression she had concealed information from her love.

As they head back to their apartment, Cosima makes a detour and they pass by a jewelry store.

“Can we…take a look?” Cosima asks, taking her fiancée by the hand and leading her inside. “I loved visiting these stores and browsing the stones when I was younger. But I never thought I’d actually buy one.”

She paces the store, sits down before a display of rings, and grins. “I want you to try this. What’s your ring size?”

“No, Cosima, we can never afford this.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try. Come on!”

For the next half hour, Delphine humors her beloved by trying out several rings.

“Wow, look at that. I think this one would look stunning on you.”

“Please, how would we pay…”

“And…it’s a fit. What do you think?”

Delphine finds herself taking a moment to admire the rose gold, cushion cut ring. “It’s… the most beautiful ring I have ever worn.”

“I think it looks really good on you too. Hi, um,” Cosima turns to face their attendant, whose patience had been stretched to the brink. “We’re taking this one.”

“Cosima, please…”

“Yes, this one is definitely it. Do we get to pick the box as well…”

“Neither of us are employed,” the doctor whispers.

The scientist looks her fiancée straight in the eye. “My dad called me this morning. He wants to buy you a ring. Seriously. It’s not right that only I have one. I know rings are just symbols and then there’s the whole diamonds are inherently worthless spiel and all that but…I love you, and I am committed to see this through. Can you please just accept this gift?”

Delphine places her hands on Cosima’s face and leans over for a kiss.

“All right then. I’ll take that as a yes,” the scientist smiles.

 

 

 

***

 

“Now that we’ve developed our emotional baselines, let’s search through the memories in between,” Scott says.

Before her, Cosima sees various circles of light, each one containing a memory. “I would have preferred our engagement to signify the peak of her happiness, but sure.”

“Whatever happened to her, Markson was definitely responsible,” Scott says. “I’m going to move us closer to that time period.”

“Wait. Stop.” Cosima spots a memory of Delphine working at the hospital, the very one they were located in now. “Can you fast forward through her first and last day of work at the hospital? Maybe it has something.”

Scott zooms into the memory, and soon it is the only one that comes into focus. Cosima spots Delphine standing at the hospital lobby, greeting Scott before he heads down to the lab.

“Can I speak to you in private?” Delphine asks. Scott nods and they move to her new office. “Did you take a drug test on your first day? With a urine sample and blood test?”

“Urine sample, yes. But a blood sample? That seems a bit invasive, no?”

“That’s what I thought. I’m going to reject it.” She drops her voice to a whisper. “It’s only my first day, and I feel like I’m being treated like a zoo animal.”

“How so?”

“They put out a press release, just to say they hired me. But I’m not even doing anything special. Just a physician, that’s all. One of the nurses said there was gum in my hair and pulled out a few strands. She disappeared before I could say anything.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I can never escape what happened at Camp Revival. The clones, their identities are protected by court order. But there are some who believe I worked on the Ambrosia and have been injected with it. And they want to cash in on my celebrity and collect any blood or tissue samples they can.”

“I…don’t know what to say. This hospital has a pretty good reputation. Give them a chance? Although that is pretty sketchy of them.”

For the next few days, Delphine carries out her shifts with virtually no time to eat or sleep. Everyone, it seemed, was asking her if the Ambrosia was real. Dark circles form under her eyes.

On her final day, the doctor is prevented from providing care to her patients as the hospital books her for interview after interview.

“Dr. Cormier, what are you doing here? You’ve got a press conference in ten minutes!” Her supervisor calls out as she examines a patient’s file.

“I need to meet my next patient.”

“We’ll have that covered. Come along now.”

Delphine drops her clipboard on the counter. “Is this all it’s ever going to be? How am I supposed to do my job…”

“This is your job. Now let’s go.”

“No, if this is your plan for me, I can’t do it. Either let me practice medicine or let me go.”

“Dr. Cormier, do you know how difficult it is to land a position here? We receive 300 resumes a month.”

“Then that’s all I need to know.” She takes off her badge and places it on the counter. “I’ll clean out my office now.”

 

“Cosima. Cosima!”

The scientist finally snaps out of her state and the memory fades.

“Yes, the leadership at this hospital is the worst, but I don’t think they would poison her,” Scott says. “Come on, we need to find out what happened!”

_Why couldn’t she just tell me the reason why she didn’t have the time to call, the reason why she quit?_

“Yes, let’s see what happened when Markson came along.” For that, Cosima couldn’t help but feel guilty as she was the one who had led her fiancée down that path.


	5. The Young Chairman

_I believe we can free ourselves from the shackles of our DNA. That should we so choose, we need not be a slave to our genetics._

 

“So did you engrave any message inside the band or whatever it is couples do?” Sarah asks.

“No, I mean, what would I write?” Cosima replies over the phone while walking over to her advisor’s office at Stanford. She smiles, thinking about what they could inscribe. Knowing Delphine, she would probably engrave the words _YOU’RE MINE_ while her message would read _I’m Yours_.

“ _Crazy Love, Crazy Science? I’ll Always Love You No Matter What?_ I don’t know!”

“I think our love speaks for itself," the scientist says. "I mean, words hold power but in the end, they’re just words. People claim to love each other forever all the time and then when things get tough or they lose that feeling, they leave. All we can really promise is commitment, and even that is difficult.

“I can’t promise anyone all of me unconditionally. Of course we place conditions on the ones we love and there are deal-breaking behaviors. I’m not saying it’s impossible to attain that transcendent type of love, the purest kind, but it’s definitely not something I’m going to proclaim in the heat of the moment.”

“Are you getting all philosophical with me now?” Sarah asks.

“Look, what about you? How’s that guy you were talking about last time? You agreed to a second date, isn’t that something? Introducing him to Kira anytime soon?”

“Oh, piss off.”

“You’re lucky I reached the office. We’re going to talk about this later,” Cosima ends the call and peers into the room. “Hello, is Professor Rothman…” Instead of spotting the renowned researcher, she finds a young, bespectacled student with long, dark hair and a slender frame sitting inside.

The student looks up from the monitor. “No, he left last week to study beetles in Guatemala after his grant came through…He didn’t tell you?”

“Uh…no. When is he coming back?”

“Not sure. Maybe a year?”

 _A year?_ Cosima’s body turns cold as she stands on verge of tears. She had endured his rants and spent restless nights revising her papers to satisfy his whims, all so she could complete her PhD dissertation early. She could almost taste freedom, and with it, she could finish inoculating all the Leda sisters and plan the wedding. But now she would have to tell her fiancée everything was uncertain once more.

“We have a guest!” A tall professor bearing a warm smile and friendly face steps into the office. “Looking for Rothman? I’ll be taking over for him during his sabbatical. Dr. Russell Sanek.” He offers a handshake. “And you are?”

"Cosima Niehaus." The scientist shakes his hand while trying to keep it together. “I was hoping to finish my dissertation on sympatric speciation with my advisor but now that he isn’t here…”

“Isn’t that a pity. Dahlia, can you offer our guest a chair?” Professor Sanek says. “He has a habit of leaving his students hanging like that. But how about this? I’ll look through my schedule and see if I could advise you in his place. We may have to begin a new project, however…”

“That’s very kind of you, professor, but I can’t afford to stay here an extra year.”

“Bring me your portfolio. I’ll see if I can qualify you for any grants.”

“You’re very kind, but I mean, really?” Did her fortunes just shift in an instant?

“You don’t believe there are good people in this world?” Sanek laughs. “I’ll be here until six tonight if you want to bring me what you have. If the board approves it, I think we can get started as soon as tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes, absolutely! I’ll be right back. Thank you!” Cosima rushes to her apartment and prints out her curriculum vitae. However, when she returns, the professor is no longer there.

“Hello again,” the student smiles. “Looks like someone caught a lucky break. I can give that to him for you.”

“Thanks. You’re Dahlia, right?”

“That’s correct. I’m his mentee, assistant, coffee runner, you name it.” They shake hands. “It seems you’re in a rush to graduate.”

“You have no idea.”

“Yeah. Um, I know we just met, but would you be interested in perhaps…grabbing a drink later? I mean, if you’re not too busy.”

Cosima laughs. “Thanks for the offer, but I can’t. I need to go home and feed my puppy. She’s new here and doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

“Oh,” Dahlia responds, unsure of how to take the explanation. “You’re a dog person?”

“No, she’s my fiancée. And she’s not a dog, she’s a person…it’s kind of a running joke between us.” Cosima breathes out. “I guess I’ll see you around, Dahlia.”

 

Less than a week later, Cosima begins working under Professor Sanek on a new project discovering treatments to unique genetic diseases. He had even qualified her for a fellowship to cover an additional year at Stanford.

“Okay, that will be all for today,” Sanek says early one afternoon, taking off his lab coat. “Can we pick this up tomorrow morning?”

“Sure, no problem,” Cosima removes her goggles.

“He’s excited to hear Mercer speak on campus tonight,” Dahlia pipes in.

“Wait, you mean Jules Mercer, Chairman & CEO of Markson, the company that took over the Dyad Institute?” Cosima asks. She had seen him grace the covers of magazines and Top 40 Innovators under 40 lists.

“The one and only,” Sanek says. “Controversial guy, but it should be interesting.”

“I heard he’s a Neolution apologist,” Cosima responds. “Didn’t he call the founder PT Westmoreland a ‘misunderstood hero?’”

“We can all agree that Mr. Westmoreland is a fraud, but I’m curious as to what Mercer has to say. Would you like to come? I’ve invited Dahlia and I’m sure I can sneak in another guest.”

“It’s fine. I have a date night to catch.”

“Why don’t you bring her along?” Dahlia asks.

“I don’t know. Futurist cults aren’t exactly our thing.”

“We could well be in the presence our generation’s Darwin,” Sanek says. “Why not give her a call and ask if she’s interested?”

 

Delphine was more than interested. She greets them outside the auditorium, her face bubbling with enthusiasm as she recounts what she’s read about Jules.

“He was installed as Chairman just two years ago to place the company on a path of profitability. They went public just last month and now he’s worth billions. He’s a real - what do you call it - Renaissance man? I heard he can bench press 240 pounds, play 12 different sports, speak 8 different languages…”

“Not the first man to build a myth around him,” Cosima notes dryly while helping herself to a glass of wine.

“Looks like you have a ‘Mercer-nary’ on your hands,” Sanek teases the scientist as they take their seats. A young man in his early 30s steps up onto the stage.

“He’s even more handsome in the flesh,” Delphine observes.

“Oh, stop it.” Cosima playfully nudges her fiancée in the arm, and they laugh. “Now I see why you wanted to come.”

Jules flashes his trademark megawatt smile and speaks in a British accent. “An aging population. Genetic therapy. Designer babies. Artificial intelligence assuming the place of human jobs. These are the challenges of today and tomorrow. John Mark and Jae Hyeok Son understood these challenges when they founded a scrappy start-up in a basement just a few short miles from where I’m standing now.

“When I was brought aboard Markson, my goal was simple. How can we best advance the human species while retaining the highest ethical standards? We all know how it ended with Neolution, and there have been those who have twisted my words on that subject. But I believe scientific progress can be achieved without sacrificing our integrity."

Cosima gradually finds herself abandoning her cynical nature, intrigued by Jules’ intellect as he recounts a history of scientific discoveries.

“What distinguishes us from the robotic? What determines how we react to a situation? Some say it’s free will, gifted to us by the gods! It’s what makes each of us unique. But how much of our behavior can we consciously control? Could we not think of our DNA as the source code, and our environment and experiences as the input? That in the end, relatively little of how we go about our everyday lives is truly up to us.

“But what if we can change all that, rewrite the coding? As an epigeneticist, I believe we can free ourselves from the shackles of our DNA. That should we so choose, we need not be a slave to our genetics. That yes, we can control the levers of our own destiny and dictate our biology, not vice versa. This is the dream I held dear as a young orphan in London. It is a dream I pursue each day at the helm of Markson. And it is a dream that we today must realize. Thank you.”

After his presentation, the young chairman mingles with an adoring crowd, even allowing a participant to sit on his back while he does push-ups.

“I want to talk to him,” Delphine says.

“Go right ahead,” Cosima replies.

Delphine shoots the scientist a devious glance and gently elbows her. “Are you jealous?”

“Who…me? Nope, not jealous at all.”

The doctor smiles. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dahlia gives the scientist a quick hug before leaving with Sanek. “Your puppy is really beautiful.”

“Yeah, she really is,” Cosima beams.

“Someone like you, unemployed?” Jules appears taken aback in his conversation with Delphine. He really did have a magnetic presence about him. “I’m surprised, considering your reputation…”

“That’s the problem,” Delphine replies. “All people expect of me is to recreate the Ambrosia.”

“While you only wish to be recognized for your scientific genius…That’s understandable. I was actually hoping to talk to you, so it worked out that you came tonight. Would you like to join us?”

“Woah, wait a minute…” Cosima interjects. It wasn’t her place to deny her fiancée a dream job, but the scientist wasn’t completely sold on Jules.

“This is Cosima, my fiancée,” Delphine says. “She’s a Fields Fellow at Stanford.”

“Hello.” Jules offers his hand and Cosima slowly shakes it. “You chose well. Dr. Cormier is about as brilliant a eugenicist as they come.”

“I would hesitate to use that term to describe her.”

Jules smirks. “Did I do anything to offend you?”

“Your company recently acquired Dyad when no one else would touch it.”

The doctor shoots her fiancée an annoyed look, but Jules responds calmly. “While some may deem the institute a liability, I saw a responsibility to grow and nurture 27,000 exceptional minds, minds that included researchers like Dr. Cormier. I couldn’t have them all laid off just like that, now could I?”

He turns to Delphine and hands her his business card. “We are looking for new additions to our Board of Directors. I don’t need egos, I need experience. There are very few people at the top who understand the fundamentals of the business, as you have.

“Now if you believe, as your fiancée suggests, that we should ever err on the side of the unethical well, you can set us straight.” He places a hand on the doctor’s shoulder and squeezes it. “Don’t sell yourself short. I trust you'll make the right decision.”

 

“He’s a charmer, that one,” Cosima muses over dinner. They sit outside of a restaurant, waiting for their plates of pasta.

“You only talked to him for about two minutes,” Delphine replies. “At the very least, he knows what he’s doing. You can’t say that about most people at the top, like he said.”

“There’s something about him…just doesn’t feel right. If they’re offering you a fat paycheck, something’s gotta give. You know how hesitant I am about you going anywhere near Neolution…”

The doctor reaches over and grips the scientist’s hand. “Hey. You know me. I’m not going to go back. But right now, we have a lot to cover: an apartment, and your studies, and a wedding…”

“I’m not worried about the money. I was an idiot to even bring it up. Is this what you really want, working at corporate?”

“Jules is right about one thing: his company represents the direction, the future of science. To be offered this opportunity to lead at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs…”

“Okay. If this is what you want, you have my full support.”

Instead of feeling relieved, Delphine sighs. “Will you feel resentful, if the company turns out to be Dyad 2.0 or if it takes a lot of time away from us?”

“I can’t promise you that, but I know that if the company does go down a dark path, you’ll be there to prevent it from happening. I want you to reach your full potential, and if I am your soulmate, I can’t stand in the way of that.”

Delphine smiles. “ _Merci, mon amour._ ” The server arrives with their meals. “By the way, your lady friend seemed quite smitten by you.”

“Who? The assistant? I don’t want to assume things, but I think she might like me…but she knows about us and it’s totally normal. I mean, I feel completely normal around her, it’s not weird or anything…You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Oh, I’m not a jealous lover,” Delphine replies in between bites of pasta. “But you know, Shay recently got married.” 

“Okay. I’m happy for her,” Cosima says, not expecting to talk about her ex-girlfriend and rebound. “Wait, are you still stalking her? Wonder why we weren’t invited to the wedding.” She changes the topic. “So if you’re going to take this job, I suppose we should go celebrate. Let’s grab some ice cream after dinner.”

 

***

 

“It has to be Jules,” Cosima says. “Even back then, there was something about him that just wasn’t right. Scott, can we go back to when she accepted the offer?”

Scott searches for the memory, and Cosima is transported to an elevator at Markson’s Headquarters in Milpitas. Delphine does not seem to notice her and walks into a sparse office, with a yoga mat on the side and a small desk by the window.

“Dr. Cormier, it’s an honor.” Jules speaks from the mat, his eyes still closed.

“I was hoping, before I accept the position, if you would agree to a few conditions.”

“Let’s hear them.” He moves to his chair. “You will have voting power and stock options, certainly.”

“That is generous of you, but I want to be clear on one thing. I know you cannot promise me a work-life balance, I understand that. But if you are hiring me to recreate the Ambrosia, I cannot do it. I want a contract that stipulates I am not to work on it.”

“Huh,” Jules replies. “If it’s to placate your fiancée and her ethics concerns, I can assure you that everything we do is 100% humane and under the most stringent of standards.

“We have plenty of projects here, not just longevity studies. I’m sure we can work something into your contract; however, why would you limit yourself? We will not compel you into that field if you so wish, but leave yourself the option to change your mind. After all, the science is always changing.”

Delphine debates his proposal and decides she can exercise that control. “Very well. I also require the ability to hire my own staff.”

“Done. Is there anything else you need? Private jets? Retirement plans and vacation time?”

“That will be all.”

“Excellent.” Jules smiles. “Let me show you around the building and what we’re currently working on. We recently bought out the company behind the Moirae. Have you heard of it?” Delphine shakes her head.

“It’s still in its testing phase, but it will enable psychiatrists to one day unlock your unconscious mind and revisit your memories. Then they talk to you and lead you through traumatic moments, finding healthy ways to cope with your darkest struggles. It’s pretty neat, and we’re looking for the sharpest minds to work on it.”

“I think I may have someone in mind.”

Jules grins. “You made the right choice. You’ll soon find this is the best decision you could have ever made for yourself.”


	6. Warring Factions

_You need someone who can give you their undivided loyalty, tell you hard truths, anticipate your every need before even you know them._

 

For a multinational conglomerate housing the world’s most prized scientific innovations, Markson appeared to lack the security to boot.

Cosima is surprised by the relative ease of waltzing into Delphine’s office. The assistant’s chair is empty, and the doctor works at her desk seemingly unaware of how simple it is to access her.

“Does Director Cormier have a minute?” The scientist waves from the doorway.

Delphine looks up, her worried expression breaking into a warm smile. “Yes, I apologize for the mess.” She gestures to the chair before her.

Cosima picks up a photograph of the two of them standing in their old lab with Scott photobombing from behind. “Hey, this picture does not flatter me,” she laughs.

“I know, but I look good in it,” Delphine grins. “What do you have there?”

“I thought to stop by and bring you lunch. I have two hoagies and…” The scientist reaches into the bag and holds up an Eskimo Pie. “If you’re good, I might just be willing to share.”

“ _Tu me gâtez._ ”

“Look at you, all corporate chic,” Cosima sets their lunch on the desk. “You’re so busy now, working every day. Are you sure you have time to get married?”

“I’m sorry. It’s…this has all been a dream. I miss sleep, but…there is so much to learn and grow every day. I’m working with some of the best scientific minds, and everyone is so kind and willing to share their expertise. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever held, but I’ll try to finish my work and come home early tonight.”

Cosima nods in understanding. It would often be 9 or 10 at night when her fiancée returned. “Don’t feel guilty. The least I can do is support you in your dreams. But if you want to come home early tonight…” The scientist slowly leans over the desk for a kiss.

“Director Cormier!”

Cosima turns around and finds herself standing face-to-face with Dr. Susan Duncan, adoptive mother to Rachel Duncan, the corporate clone who nearly took their lives at Camp Revival.

“Susan? Do you work here?”

“Dr. Duncan sits on the Board of Directors with me,” Delphine explains. “You know each other?”

“Yes, Susan was the head of Project Leda,” Cosima says, referring to the project that created her and her sister clones.

“I also led you to a cure for your disease, lest you forget,” Susan replies, before turning to the doctor. “Are you ready for your first board meeting?”

The doctor buries her head in her hands. “I forgot about it. What time…”

“Fifteen minutes. But I wanted to speak to you beforehand. Privately.”

Delphine turns to Cosima. “I’m sorry. I might not be able to come home early tonight.” She returns the Eskimo Pie. “This will probably melt. Savor it for the both of us.”

The scientist tries to mask a look of disappointment. She had agreed to this, after all. “I’ll catch you later, buddy.” Susan shuts the door behind her.

 

 

 

***

 

“Susan Duncan,” Cosima thinks. “Delphine was constantly on the phone with her. It could have been her. Or at the very least, she might have known something. Scott, can we pinpoint the moment right before Delphine’s first board meeting, when she had a conversation with Susan?”

“That might take me a while to look up,” Scott says. “Hold on.”

“I think I need some coffee,” Sarah says. “You want some, Scott?”

“Sure, no cream please.”

“What about me?” Cosima asks.

“You can eat and drink when we’re done here,” Scott replies.

“Fair enough.”

A few minutes later, Cosima is transported back to Delphine’s office, to the moment right after she left.

“You need an assistant,” Susan says. “As brilliant as you may think you are, you’ll need someone to keep track of your schedule. I can have Vijay recommend someone.”

“I’m fine, Susan. I can fetch my own coffee.”

“It’s not that. You need a go-to person, someone who understands the corporate structure, who can give you their undivided loyalty, tell you hard truths, anticipate your every need before even you know them.”

Delphine sighs. “I had to fire the one they gave me. I specifically asked to hire my own staff, and they assign Francis to watch me.”

“Rachel’s last assistant?”

“He saw Rachel give the order to kill me and offered nothing in protest. Fortunately it’s been the only questionable thing I’ve witnessed. I was afraid after they acquired Dyad they might follow in its footsteps.”

“You’re not far off the mark on that one, I’m afraid.”

Delphine’s expression turns to one of concern. “What do you mean?”

“Surely you understand that you were brought here for a reason, talented as you may be in your own right. But when the scientific community looks at you, they think of only three things: Ambrosia, Ambrosia, and Ambrosia.”

“I am well aware of how I am perceived. But the work I am doing here, it has nothing…”

“Do you have that in writing? Jules has a habit of believing he can win over anyone with promises of greatness and appeals to their egos. He’ll have you working on a new serum in time.”

Delphine scoffs. “Everyone seems to believe they can read me better than I could. I can decide my own projects.”

Susan takes a seat by the desk. “For today’s board meeting, are you familiar with the men who sit with us? At the head of the table there is Jules Mercer, the Chairman. He only votes in the event of a tie. Dr. Ian Van Lier is the Chief Operating Officer. Jules presents his vision and Ian turns them into reality. Mr. Simon Frontenac, also a Dyad holdover, now manages Markson’s security operations. Their top financier is Kuwaiti businessman Hashem Al-Khatib, and he essentially votes in lockstep with Jules. These four I would consider the Dyad/Neolutionist Old Guard.

“Then there are us: Vijay Chatterjee is the Chief Financial Officer and one of Markson’s first hires. He was well-respected enough to survive the last corporate restructuring bloodbath. Dr. Charles Koh was brought on board purely for the name recognition alone and is not, in my opinion, the most scrupulous scientist. However, he is the closest we’ve got to a swing vote on the board.”

Delphine leans forward. “Isn’t it ironic? Jules controls the Old Guard and you control the new. Susan, with all due respect you don’t consider yourself part of the Old Guard?”

“I’ve worked for Neolution long enough to recognize the dangers it poses to humanity. It still troubles me how things ended at Camp Revival.”

“Why do you work here then?”

“Jules thinks he has a majority, and as long as Koh votes with them, he does. I am here to prevent Markson from heading down the path of Dyad. But considering how he has gifted the Neolutionists with a seat at the table, everything I have seen thus far has suggested otherwise.”

“Jules does not strike me as anything less than ethical…”

“You haven’t been here long enough to see it with your own eyes! Look all around you. Van Lier. Coady. Chevalier. They had the best defense lawyers in the world. They’re still around, and they've been elevated to positions of power! If this continues, I may have to shut the whole thing down.”

“Why not bring your concerns to the Chairman himself? He apparently has enough faith to place you on his board.”

“Because he cannot handle any form of opposition! However, I have leverage over Jules at the moment, and he knows it. He won’t dare oust me.”

“You trust me enough to tell me all this. Why?”

“There will be a vote at the end of today’s meeting. Ian will introduce a motion, and Jules will rush it through. It will seem harmless, a few million dollars into an unspecified prolongevity project masquerading as a study on telomere extension in mice.”

“Recreating Project Ambrosia.”

“They can call the study whatever they want, but it’s nothing less than a front for restarting human cloning. Jules will insist it’s all under the highest ethical standards, but that’s bunk and he knows it. Why is Markson, a scientific research corporation, in the process of acquiring 150 television stations and 30 print publications?

“Jules understands something that PT Westmoreland overlooked: the importance of controlling the narrative. If he can make people believe Mr. Westmoreland was a martyr and Neolution holds the truth…what can the government do to stop him? He could say and do anything and get away with it, because the people will worship him.

“The Chairman is no better than your former patron. Has anyone ever stopped to ask the questions? The departures of his predecessors seem suspect at best. Why would John Mark and Jae Hyeok Son suddenly abandon their life’s work and grant a thirty-something free reign to run their company as he pleases? Markson will crumble under his leadership.”

Delphine leans back in her chair, digesting Susan's words. “Let’s presume everything you told me is true, Jules is a corrupt fraud, and I vote the way that you want. Why should I believe you? You seem to stand the most to gain if he is ousted.”

“Do you understand the purpose of Project Leda?" Susan asks. "The endgame was nothing less than eternal life and wealth for Mr. Westmoreland. He didn’t live to realize that dream, but Jules can. Look at how much pain and suffering Project Leda caused, from monitors like yourself to the clones and their loved ones. If the board rejects today’s proposal, we can stop something like this from happening again, at least for the time being. I know you are personally invested. Cosima, she…”

“Do not use her to exploit my emotions. She is off limits. Do you understand?”

“Listen to reason, Delphine. You remind me so much of myself. I was an ambitious scientist, pushing against the boundaries. I was led astray before, but I am sincere in my hope not to repeat what happened with Neolution. Together, we can form an alliance on the Board.”

 

The board members take their seat, leaving an empty chair at the end of the table with the name plate “Duncan.” Susan takes a seat next to Delphine and gives her a knowing nod. The meeting is gaveled to order.

The votes proceed as expected, with most decisions passing by unanimous consent. As Susan had warned, Ian makes a motion at the end to fund a prolongevity study. Susan speaks in opposition, stating that as the proposal stands there would be little oversight from the board.

“Let’s begin with the votes.” The secretary calls the board members’ names one by one.

 _Van Lier._ “Yea.”

 _Chatterjee._ “While the goal of life extension is a noble one, I cannot support the proposal as it is now drafted. This was pushed through without any advance notice, and I’m concerned with the ethical implications that may run afoul of regulators. I vote nay.”

 _Al-Khatib._ “This is a positive step towards the goal envisioned by Markson. Yea.”

 _Frontenac._ “Yea.”

 _Duncan._ “Nay.”

 _Cormier._ “I second Director Chatterjee’s concerns. We need more time to review this proposal and make sure it is done right. I vote nay.”

All eyes turn to Koh, who stands to salvage or sink the proposal. Susan sits as still as possible, hoping her influence was enough.

“I see, certainly, both sides of the issue,” Dr. Koh utters nervously. “I was recruited by Mr. Westmoreland before, as you all know, and while I ultimately did not partner with him I do see the promise in the scientific research. If we do not pursue this, someone else inevitably will. And I know, I know we are nothing like Westmoreland and would definitely hold ourselves to higher standards…

“But we must be cautious. As Director Cormier mentioned, we have to get this right. This proposal, I believe, needs more time, more thought. Thus, I vote nay.”

Susan beams, knowing full well her ability to blackmail had more to do with Koh’s change of heart. But no matter, the proposal was dead, 4-3 against. Yet, the victory seemed a bit too easy. Jules would not humiliate himself by allowing a vote on a losing proposal.

“The Board has spoken, and I respect its decision,” Jules says. “However, not all members were present for this vote. I should take this time to welcome you to our ninth and final member.” He turns on the screen behind the empty chair.

A shadowy figure in a dark room appears on the screen. Susan gasps.

Ferdinand Chevalier, the impish cleaner now working for Markson, steps away from the webcam and takes a seat behind the figure.

“It’s an honor to have you join us, Rachel,” Jules grins.

Delphine’s mouth is still open in shock as she looks at the screen and then back at Susan.

 _Duncan._ “I vote yea.” That made the vote a tie, leaving the Chairman to break the impasse.

 _Mercer._ “Yea."

"The proposal is adopted.”

The screen is turned off before anyone can ask questions. Ian quickly motions to end the meeting, and it’s seconded by Al-Khatib. The Old Guard shuffles out of the boardroom.

“Was that…?” Delphine looks to Susan.

After Susan sees the Old Guard has exited, she leans into the doctor’s ear. “They have declared war, and any war must be ended swiftly. The longer it takes, the more lives will be at stake.”

“No,” Cosima thinks as the memory fades. “Delphine, you cannot trust Susan.” The scientist had made that mistake once before.


	7. The Moirae

_I may be a clone but I’m not a robot!_

 

The night after her first board meeting, Delphine arrives home shortly after 10 and finds Cosima half-asleep on the couch with the television on.

“You’re back.” The scientist rubs her eyes.

“Sorry, I wanted to spend more time with you tonight.”

“I know.” Cosima walks over to Delphine and kisses her on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

“How about we spend some time after dinner? If you’re not too tired.”

Cosima nods. “I’ll take what I can get.”

As the scientist heats up the soup, her fiancée asks about the dissertation.

“It’s going well. I’m studying how to treat unique genetic diseases, which is right up my alley considering everything I had to go through with the Leda disease.”

“Is it relevant to your PhD?”

“Not…entirely. But I asked Professor Sanek about it and he said the Department was fine with the subject matter, fascinated with it even. The research can be tedious and draining but also really interesting. I could probably apply the knowledge to our inoculations, once we have the resources to reach all the remaining Ledas.”

It was a frustration that gnawed at the scientist with each passing day: the need to find all the Leda sisters before it was too late. But for now they lacked the time and money to make such a trip possible.

After dinner, they stroll through the park hand-in-hand. Delphine informs her fiancée of Rachel's return and the possibility that Markson will resurrect Dyad’s Ambrosia project.

“I was wondering,” Cosima says. “When we finally go wedding dress shopping, you wouldn’t mind if I wear a white tux instead of a dress, would you?”

“Cosima.” The doctor looks the scientist in the eye. “The Neolutionists at Markson are trying to recreate the Ambrosia. This doesn’t trouble you?”

“Let it go,” Cosima replies. “It’s not our fight anymore. I just want us to be happy. What concerns me more is that they think it’s a good idea to bring Rachel on their Board. She stabbed her own mother and almost killed you.”

“Rachel seems to be undergoing skin grafts and won’t show up in public,” Delphine says. “Rumor has it Westmoreland tried to burn her alive at the manor, and Ferdinand went looking for her. She’s the only known survivor of the Ambrosia Imperium, so her blood would be valuable to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if she used it as leverage.”

“You’re also aware that Susan tried to restart human cloning, right?” While Cosima had once respected Susan, the feelings dissipated once she discovered the researcher had been using her for that very objective.

“Are you sure? How is that possible when she is trying to prevent Markson from starting its own cloning project?”

“I don’t know, maybe she genuinely had a change of heart after seeing what happened with Project Leda, but I wouldn’t completely trust her. You just do the best job you can and protect the people under you.

“And before I forget, next Thursday try to get off by 7. I’m planning a date night: dinner and a movie. And next Saturday, Alison and Donnie are coming over to visit. You are free…right?”

“ _Merde._ ” Delphine places a hand over her face. “I forgot, I’m working every Saturday this month.”

“It’s a Saturday! Well all right, I’ll find some way to entertain them.”

“Maybe if they stopped by the office I can spare a minute. I can have visitor passes printed for them, and Scott will be there. I’m having him work on a new project that can read people’s minds. Or rather, their memories.”

“Oh, now that’s interesting. I’ll float the idea to them.” Cosima stands up onto a swing set. “Push me, my love.”

The doctor grins. “Okay, _chèrie_.”

 

The following Saturday, Alison and Donnie Hendrix arrive in the Bay Area for their first visit, and Cosima leads them to Markson’s Headquarters. A few nights earlier, Delphine had called off their date, but the scientist tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to suspect there was something amiss in her relationship. 

“Can you believe it Ali, it’s Markson?!” Donnie whips out his smartphone to record the occasion. “Do you think Delphine can land me a job?”

In the lobby, Cosima spots a large mural featuring Jules’ face. _The Tower of Babel Was Constructed One Brick at a Time - Jules P. Mercer_.

“Is that Delphine’s boss? He’s quite handsome.” Alison blushes.

“The one and only.” Cosima rolls her eyes. “She seems to be a big fan of his.”

“Oh,” Alison ribs her sister. “Are you jealous?”

“Of what?”

“Well, I heard he’s completely self-made. Born an orphan and made his first billion before the age of 30.”

“Please, I am not jealous. Nothing about the man intimidates me.”

“Hi Alison. Donnie.” Scott, clad in his Markson lab coat, steps into the lobby and offers a handshake. "I'm Scott Smith."

"Yes, we know you," Alison smiles.

“Delphine is tied up in a meeting, but she’ll be joining us shortly. Let me show you the secret lab.”

“So where exactly are you taking us?” Donnie asks. “Are we exploring the fabled Lab 64?”

“Very funny,” Scott replies. “I've wondered about that lab myself, but from everything I’ve heard it’s just legend. Adds to the mystique of Markson. Besides, I can show you something far better than that.”

The researcher escorts them through a hallway showcasing Markson’s latest projects.

“What does this do?” Alison points to a display.

“That is a chip you insert into your brain,” Scott explains. “It can read your mood and even sense what type of music you’re feeling or the latest earworm stuck in your head. Then it transmits a signal to your smartphone and plays the music you subconsciously want. You can also use it recommend the ideal place to eat based on how you’re feeling and what you recently ate. It can even assess your compatibility with a crush.”

“Isn’t that brazenly invasive and vulnerable to hacking?” Cosima asks.

“Perhaps,” Scott replies. “But as our generation progresses, we become less and less concerned with privacy. And if we don’t develop this first, someone else will.”

“Is that the Markson slogan?”

“No, the slogan would be: the Tower of Babel was…”

“And what’s with all these pictures of Jules?" the scientist continues. "He’s smiling everywhere you look. This place feels eerily Orwellian. Does he force everyone to engage in hero worship?”

“He does play a significant role shaping every facet of the company,” Scott replies. “I envy his job: He’s the ideas guy, the person who spends every day dreaming and then the rest of us turn it into a reality.

“Now…you are all in for a treat because…” Scott scans his badge and leads them through the metal doors at the end of the hallway. “You are about to be one of the first people ever to behold the Moirae. It’s not one of the top ten priorities at Markson as of now, but I believe it to be one of the most promising.”

They pass through a row of cubicles until they reach a dark laboratory, and Scott flips on the lights. “Here we are. Prepare to be dazzled.” He hooks his laptop onto a white system unit and points to the logo emblazoned on it. “Say hello to Clotho, a Greek goddess weaving the thread of life.”

The researcher untangles and plugs several wires into the unit before connecting them to a headset. “This, my friends, will allow the wearer to peer into the subject’s memories. It can be utilized for various purposes: psychiatrists can peek into their patients’ unconscious states. If your partner forgot something important, you can now revisit it. It could also one day serve as the world’s most accurate lie detector test.”

“This software would pose an even greater threat to privacy, wouldn’t it?” Cosima asks.

“Everything Jules does is held to the highest ethical standards. The Moirae will not activate unless the subject signs a consent form. Want to give it a try?”

Alison looks at her husband and flashes an eager smile.

“It would be our honor,” Donnie says.

“Hello Alison and Donnie.” Delphine appears at the doorway. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Delphine, I hope it’s okay if I show them…”

“That’s fine, Scott. I was hoping to check it out myself sometime and see what you’ve accomplished.”

“Everything’s still in the testing phase, but within a year I think it can be put to practical use," Scott says. "How about I have my assistant take care of Alison and Donnie next door? And you can try it with Cosima here?”

“What?” Cosima asks. “Like, right now?”

“We’ll just need you to sign an NDA and give your consent to Delphine here.” Scott pulls up a long page of text on the screen of his laptop. Delphine consents and places her thumbprint on the screen.

“Did you even read all that?” Cosima asks. “I mean, letting people view your memories, that’s…”

“It does require the users to be very vulnerable with each other,” Scott concedes. “I also recommend you not share what you visited to allow your partner the freedom to choose the memory. It can also feel embarrassing if you know what your partner saw. If you’re not ready…”

“I have nothing to hide.” The scientist reads over the conditions and gives her consent. “I’m an open book, and we trust each other.”

“Okay, who am I strapping first?” Scott asks. Delphine points to Cosima.

“Wait, why?” Cosima gives in and sits on a dental chair, taking deep breaths as Scott fits a mask over her. They each wear an EEG headset and Scott connects the wires together.

“Relax. It’ll just take a few seconds for you to fall asleep. You won’t feel a…”

Delphine closes her eyes and finds herself in a dark room with Cosima’s memories swirling around her.

“Which memory would you like to visit?” Scott’s voice floats around her. "You can revisit when you two first met, or the time you proposed..."

“I want to see…Cosima’s first night with Shay.”

“Wait. Seriously? Of all things, that’s the one you want?”

“You asked me a question. Now can you pull it up or not?”

“Since this took place over a year ago, it might take me a while. I’ll search for past loves.”

The doctor sees a light before her, illuminating Cosima as she sits on the couch in Shay’s apartment. Shay leans over for a long kiss, one word leads to another, and soon they’re stripping off their clothes.

“Hey!” Delphine marches toward the couple.

“Stop! If you enter the light, Cosima will react to you, only it will be her past self, without her memories of today. Then she will remember this moment as the time you interrupted her, um, quality time with Shay. I’m sorry; I’m going to have to pull the plug on this.”

Delphine wakes up and takes off her headset. “That woman is vulgar! One date and she’s already seduced her.”

“This is what I was afraid of.” Scott heads over to Cosima, removes her mask, and softly wakes her up. “Hey, it’s me. Ready for your shot now?”

The doctor is put to sleep and the scientist enters her fiancée’s unconscious state.

“Just two days ago, she canceled a planned date,” Cosima thinks. “She sounded really guilty, and I just want to know what happened.”

“Couldn’t you just ask her?” Scott replies.

“If she wanted to tell me, she would have told me then and there. Look, she gave me her consent to search her memories so if we’re going to do this...”

“All right. Now if it was just a few days ago and the feeling of guilt was strong, this memory shouldn’t take too long to pull up. But whatever you do, stay away from the lighted area. She’ll notice you.”

Cosima is transported to Delphine’s office, where the doctor is making the phone call. “I’m sorry _chèrie_ , I know you made the reservations. But Jules called a meeting for tonight. Yes, I understand I should have told you earlier. I’ll make it up to you. _Je t’aime aussi_.”

Scott fast forwards the memory to the moment Delphine enters a limousine with Vijay, Markson’s CFO, and his wife.

“Ready for the gala?” Vijay asks. “Is your fiancée joining you?”

“Unfortunately, she cannot. Jules said since we weren’t married I couldn’t invite her.”

“That’s a pity. He let Susan bring Ira.”

“On the account that he’s her assistant. But who understands his rationale? I wasn’t really planning to come tonight, but after the board vote, he seems disappointed in me. This is our first chance to talk about it, and it may affect my standing with the company…What do you think this gala is really about?”

“If I had to guess, I'd say he's looking to influence some political figures.”

They reach Jules’ residence, a palatial manor atop a hill overlooking the ocean. Most of the guests mingle on the beach or lounge in Jules’ yachts. Delphine is approached by one of Jules’ assistants. “I understand he wants to speak to me?”

The doctor is escorted inside and passes through the opulent trappings of the estate. She is brought before a long dining room table and notices she is Jules’ only guest. A feast is laid out before them.

“That’s the meeting she canceled our date for?” Cosima thinks.

“Are you trying to impress me?” Delphine smirks. “Because it might be working.”

Jules flashes a smug grin. “Please, have a seat.” He motions to a servant. “Pour her some champagne.”

“Jules, please understand there is nothing I would want more than for Markson to succeed.” Delphine remains standing. “I love our company, what we stand for, and the people…”

“Relax. I’m not mad. I know Susan has a way of manipulating people, so I don’t blame you. You are rightfully one of the greatest scientific minds of our time, but your dreams and ambitions are derailed time and time again. Here, we hope only to support you and foster your talents.”

“Then why did you invite Rachel to the Board?”

“Would you like us to have some dinner first?” He hands her a glass of champagne. “A toast.”

“She almost killed me. She lacks any semblance of morality…”

“Rachel understands more than anyone the need for ethics in science after what she’s been through. Burned alive, the poor thing. But I won’t have her come near you, you have my word.” He clinks his champagne flute against hers and they both take a sip. Delphine doesn’t appear to enjoy her drink and places it on the table.

“Just one sip? That’s very expensive, you know. I had it imported from Reims.”

“Let me be clear. I pose no threat to your interests, and I have every desire to contribute to the science. But the prolongevity study, I’m sure you understand…”

“Yes, you wish to prove your worth despite your self-imposed exile from the research, I understand.”

“It’s not just that…I…I…” Her face flushes and she clutches her chest.

“Are you all right?” Jules walks up to her and gently strokes the side of her hair. He leans in and kisses her, and Delphine does not appear to offer any resistance.

“The hell is this…” Cosima walks towards the light but the memory fades away. “What just happened?”

“Sorry, that seems to be it,” Scott says. “She doesn’t seem to remember what happened afterward.”

“That’s bull! Her douche-tastic boss just kissed her, and I need to know what the hell happened!”

“The technology isn’t strong enough at this point to bring up suppressed memories...And I think Alison and Donnie are done. You two can give it a go some other time. Did you just invent a word?”

 

Cosima is treated to dinner at a ritzy Japanese establishment that night, but she could hardly touch her vegetable ramen. Without a word, Delphine had returned to her office shortly after their trial.

Alison and Donnie laugh over the memories they visited while the scientist appears troubled. Why didn’t her fiancée feel like she could tell her what happened? Sure, the kiss may not have meant anything, but could they really not tell each other something this serious?

“You okay there?” Donnie asks.

Alison reaches over and places a hand on Cosima’s shoulder. “Did Delphine do something behind your back again?” The scientist glares at her sister.

“I’m just asking!” Alison exclaims. “This has nothing to do with the whole matron of honor fiasco. But I am your sister, Cosima. Have I ever lied or hurt you or failed to look after your best interests?

“I just have that feeling your fiancée is hiding something from you. Having her take this job is like asking the cookie monster to guard the cookie jar. You know what I mean! If not for you, she’d still be with the Neos. Am I wrong?”

“Ali, I’m honestly not in the mood for this right now. I may be a clone, but I’m not a robot!” Cosima takes off her glasses and begins to cry. “I just want us to experience that joy again,” she stammers.

Alison moves closer and Donnie stands behind the scientist, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“It’ll be okay,” Alison assures her sister. “Donnie and I…we almost got divorced even! And now look at us! If it’s meant to be, you’ll make it through. I promise."

 

***

 

“This is like shooting ants,” Scott sighs. “I can search for the most emotionally impactful moments in her life but trying to isolate specific…”

“Is the Moirae strong enough now to revisit suppressed memories?” Cosima asks. “If so, I want you to take me back to the first memory we visited. When Delphine entered Jules’ manor.”

“God, you think she was cheating on you?” Sarah asks. “We don’t have time for that!”

“No, I want to go back to the moment she drank the champagne. There was something interesting I noticed the last time I saw it. Is it possible to monitor any physical attributes, like her heart rate?”

The memory comes into view. The servant lifts a half-full champagne bottle and pours it into Delphine’s flute. Then he pulls out a new bottle and pours the contents into Jules’ flute.

“I can’t quite make out the labels, but they look the same,” Cosima notes. “Don’t you find that strange? Why couldn’t they just share one bottle?”

“Because Jules is an arse and wants the first sip of every unopened bottle?” Sarah asks. “Why is this important?”

“Then the servant could have poured her a drink after serving Jules,” the scientist says. “It strikes me as rather odd.”

Delphine swallows a sip and places the flute on the table. She appears repulsed after Jules forces himself to a kiss. She then proceeds to admonish him, making it known that his action was out of line, and he steps back.

“Oh, Dr. Cormier," Jules smirks. "Not a lot of people know this right now, but you once killed a man.”

“The matter with Dr. Nealon has already been resolved in court. It was an act of self-defense.”

“You threatened and almost killed a Ms. Shay Davydov. Tried to frame it as suicide.”

“It was a misunderstanding, and I take responsibility for it. She never pressed charges.”

Jules takes a few steps towards her. “Perhaps, but can you ever escape what you committed in Mr. Westmoreland’s lab? Perhaps one can argue you were forced into it but…do you really want to take that chance when I have several witnesses now working for me?” Suddenly, he drops his smug grin and groans, clutching the side of his face.

“Jules? What's happening?” Delphine approaches him.

The chairman sits down and grunts in pain. “A mere headache. I’ve said my piece. You may leave. Why are you standing there? Go!” The doctor does as she is told.

“That’s enough, Scott. How is she emotionally and physically?” Cosima asks.

“Pre or post kiss?” Sarah asks.

“Right after she drank the champagne!”

“Heart rate spikes considerably,” Scott says. “Breathing increases, stomach is unsettled.”

“That was it,” Cosima says. “That was the moment she was poisoned. The kiss was just his way of distracting her. And judging from the bottle, I don’t think she was the only one.”


	8. The Director's Assistant

_And why wouldn’t we want that? That’s your question, right?_

 

“Kira’s here. Want to say hi?”

“Hi Auntie Cosima. Thank you for the books you sent me for my birthday.”

“The report is due next week,” Cosima jokes. The Hendrixes had left and she was now sitting alone in her apartment on a video call with Sarah and Felix.

“She’s got a play date with Charlotte now,” Sarah says. “So…another lonely weekend without your French lover?”

“I didn’t know she worked at Markson,” Felix, Sarah’s adopted brother, says. “Their chairman is hot, by the way. Did you hear his yachts are named after each one of his dogs?”

“Now that’s just pretentious,” Cosima grumbles.

“Are you jealous?” Sarah asks.

“I am not jealous of him! Why does everyone keep asking me that? Jesus!”

“No, I mean, with Delphine being this hotshot director and sole breadwinner while you’re unemployed and poking at stem cells.”

“Well I gave her my full support, so whatever the consequences, I’ll accept them. I know she wishes she had more time for me.”

“How are you and Delphine?” Sarah asks. “Really. Alison said you two seem distant. She even sent me this list of how to tell if your significant other is cheating on you. It includes: noticing an emotional distance, spending less time, working late, concealing their deepest darkest secrets, acting secretive…”

“Talk about passive-aggressive.” Cosima rolls her eyes. “If you all had an issue with us being together, we'd might as well elope.”

“Don’t be a diva,” Felix replies. “You’re just one hot mess right now. I think you two need a serious chat about how this relationship is going to work. Something’s got to give.”

“How’s the dissertation going?” Sarah asks, changing the subject.

“It’s going well. I wish I got to complete my last project, but my current one is fairly relevant to what I’ve already been doing, researching genetic diseases. My advisor is presenting me with genome samples next week so I can begin sequencing…”

“Okay, our geek monkey is about to drone on about science. Time to zone out.” Felix rests on the sofa and pretends to sleep.

“Make it work,” Sarah orders. “The relationship, I mean. Don’t tell me you two could survive multiple brushes with death but not this. If your relationship matters, fight for it like it does.”

 

 

***

 

Cosima paces around her dark enclosure. “Everything ties back to Jules Mercer. It has to be him, he sent those thugs to the hospital…”

“Are you absolutely certain?” Scott asks.

The scientist scoffs. “Did you not just see what happened? How could it possibly not be him?”

“Before you send me off to kidnap the man and shove him in a trunk, consider that Delphine was caught in the crossfire between two factions,” Sarah notes. “Who knows, it could be Susan or Ira; the fact of the matter is we don’t know right now.”

“Maybe Katie might know something,” Scott says. He uploads her picture and searches for Delphine’s first memory of her. “I know you think it’s all connected to Jules, but let’s try one more person close to her.”

Cosima is transported to Delphine’s office, where the doctor is scanning her inbox. _In reference to your question yesterday, I would like to amend my answer to say that I will do whatever is right for the company._

“Send in the next applicant,” the doctor instructs.

A neatly-dressed woman, a few years younger than the doctor, enters and hands in her resume. Delphine proceeds with the interview, rarely making eye contact, but the applicant does not appear intimidated.

“You’re the one Vijay recommended, known for your loyalty,” Delphine notes. “You were also fired not long ago.”

The applicant admits her failings while providing an acceptable reason for the termination. Her department had been caught manipulating financial data and while she was cleared of wrongdoing, as a manager she accepted responsibility.

“So, Katie, if I was to ever ask you to do something you believed to be unethical, what would you do?”

“I would recommend against it."

"And if I persist?"

Without a pause, the applicant responds, "Then I would tender my letter of resignation. If I cannot serve your interests fully, I have no business being your assistant.”

“Oh.” Delphine appears disappointed. “You’re not what I had been expecting.” Katie remains silent and offers no rebuttal. The doctor stands up and offers a handshake. “We’ll let you know what we decide.”

“She always seemed like a straight arrow,” Cosima says. “Do you think she had anything to do with it?”

“I’m willing to take the wager she didn’t, but let's cover our bases.” Scott fast forwards a week, after Katie had settled into her new position.

“You have a lunch meeting with the COO at 11:30 am and a conference call with the Houston team at 2:00 pm today. Your flight to Zurich has been arranged and your driver will pick you up from your apartment at 10:15 am Sunday. There is a 70% chance of thunderstorms when you land, so bring an umbrella. Also, Director Duncan is waiting outside and wishes to speak with you.”

“Which one?” Delphine asks.

“My apologies, it’s Susan Duncan. Should I send her in?”

The doctor nods and Susan enters, taking a seat by her desk.

“Katie, close the door and make sure no one comes in until I give my okay.” Delphine then turns to Susan. “That vote I took – the vote you made me take – Jules views it as betrayal. I cannot afford to have a target on my back. I have someone I care about that they can use as leverage.”

“Yes of course, Cosima,” Susan says. “Can I start by extending my congratulations on your engagement? It pleases me whenever I find my clones well-adjusted and thriving in their environment.”

“What do you want?”

“Have you read the news?” Susan drops a newspaper on the desk, folded to page 12.

“I heard of the American Embassy bombing, yes.”

“Yesterday was a busy news day, which is why he would have them executed.”

Delphine picks up the paper and scans the headline. _Markson Co-founders Dead. John Mark jumps from apartment window and Jae Hyeok Son killed in car crash._

She looks up. “You’re not saying Jules would be as brazen as to finish them off on the same day? Why would he plot this? As part of the settlement, the founders were not to discuss the conditions of their dismissal.”

“He’s going mad, Jules," Susan replies. "Unless he respects you, no one is even allowed to address him even by his surname. You have to call him Mr. Chairman now. His purge of the company is almost complete. He’s remaking Markson in his image.”

“Susan, let me be clear on one thing. I’ve been deceived before, by Dr. Leekie. You can’t expect me to believe everything you tell me. I require evidence.”

“And you shall have it. As you know, Markson is undergoing the prolongevity study that Dyad started. There are no fancy press releases, but the Neolutionists will push the boundaries of ethics and science. If you believe Project Leda was evil, why, the possibilities with this research will reveal their basest natures, unleash their rapacious greed.

“Within years, they will amass a fortune and assemble an empire, a triumvirate of communication conglomerates, the government, and corporate science. Unfortunately, we don’t hold all the cards at this moment. Our position is tenuous and their tentacles are deep.”

“You must have something valuable on Jules in order for him to present you with a seat at the table,” Delphine notes. “Do you care to share?”

“Whatever I discuss with him is in confidence.”

“If Jules truly is as evil as you say, why do you work with him? Why are you still involved with all these projects if you believe he is going down this slippery slope? Why would you want to stop human cloning unless you have some sort of vendetta against the man? You’re extorting him, aren’t you?”

“What do I care for money and prestige?” Susan snaps. “I don’t have much time left on this earth. My life work lives on in the Leda sisters. All that remains unfinished is atonement for my role in Neolution.

“Jules…he is merely the alpha rat. Take him out now, and what remains of Neolution will survive. But if we allow him to lead his followers to the cheese, we can finish them all off at once, when the time is right. That is why I must stay on the board. Surely, you understand this concept well. Working within the system…”

“Why should this matter to me?” Delphine shoots back. “What about Cosima? They used her as leverage at Camp Revival – what’s to stop them from doing so again? I can’t do anything that will place her in harm’s way.”

“Exactly. And what better way to protect her than to end Neolution once and for all?”

“Neolution is an idea! You know as well as I that it cannot die. If Jules is gone, someone else will take his mantle. It will never end.”

“Cosima is my creation. She is like my own daughter! I will do everything in my power to protect her.”

“I see how well you protected your other Ledas.”

“Listen to me. When I created the Leda clones, Westmoreland removed fifty of my specimens and handed them to Dr. Virginia Coady. She cares only for her Castor clones, and she promptly placed them into use as her guinea pigs. They were the first human recipients of Ambrosia. They were the reason Westmoreland was able to create the serum at the speed he did. All this time, they raised those Ledas and had them hidden at Camp Revival.”

“That’s not possible. I have not read anything about this in the Black Book. Nor was I ever subject to experimenting on them. To my knowledge, all the Leda clones were named in the back of the book…”

“It makes sense Westmoreland would not want you working with the clones,” Susan replies. “To be honest, you have been an unreliable monitor at best, and you’ve allowed your emotions to taint their study.

“Apparently, the missing Ledas were among the first to be shepherded away once the camp was raided. The Neolutionists prioritized their escape over rescuing their own followers from the authorities. They were afraid what would happen to them once the clones were discovered, deformities and all. And now that Dyad belongs to Markson, I fear they are under Jules’ jurisdiction.”

“If they are experimenting on them the way they did in Westmoreland’s basement…there is no way Neolution could survive this revelation.”

“Which is why I’ve been trying to locate the missing Ledas. Ironically, Rachel was supposed to be one of them. At the last minute, they returned her test tube to me. I adopted her, and she was named the Legacy Clone. Yet she still cast the deciding vote to fund the study that will, mark my words, restart cloning.”

“How will you protect her?”

“Of course you wonder. Dyad holds the patent on Project Leda. Whoever controls the patent holds custody over the clones. I’ll do everything I can to prevent Markson from utilizing that patent, but they currently have the legal right to exercise it.

“Jules will stay under the radar until the FTC approves the merger, and he will not attempt anything risky before then. Nevertheless, at least one of us must be here at all times: you, me, or Chatterjee. My proposal is thus: We find the missing Ledas, I gather my evidence…”

“You’re working with the Feds?”

“I know I’m not the only one here who is cooperating. You’ll receive your cut as a whistleblower and legally you can’t be fired for it…”

Delphine scoffs. “You want me to give up everything I’ve built for the sake of your personal vendetta…”

“All you need to do is follow my lead. If you should decide against it, you will realize too late that I was right.”

“You trust me enough to tell me this, but you can’t expect my complete, unfailing loyalty,” Delphine says. “What I do is with the company’s interests in mind.”

“I would expect no less.” Susan stands up and takes out an external hard drive from her bag. “I have one last request. My assistant Ira is glitching.” Everyone knew Ira was much more than just an assistant, as Susan’s adopted son and lover. “This drive contains his synthetic genome. I ask of you, I beg of you, have Cosima take a look and design a cure based on the one we created together for Leda. She can have access to my lab and all the resources she needs. I will compensate her.”

“I’ll let her know," Delphine replies. "As for your proposal, I cannot promise you anything, not even the confidentiality of our conversation. But I will consider it.” They shake hands, and the doctor turns her attention to the contract on her desk.

As Susan leaves, Katie enters and closes the door. “Dr. Cormier, I know it is not my place to advise you on corporate politics. If I take a step too far, let me know…”

“You understand the company much better than me. I would appreciate your honesty.”

“Director Susan Duncan is currently not in favor at Markson. If you’re associated with her, you’ll be outnumbered on the board and your projects may not receive priority or funding. They may pull the plug on the Moirae.” This would not be a surprise, as their current system was not financially viable.

“I’ll accept the consequences of my decisions.”

“I also hear Director Duncan wants to end the most promising, profitable project at Markson. If successful, the telomere extension study could turn us into the most valuable company in the world.”

“And why wouldn’t we want that? That’s your question, right?”

“I’m your assistant. My job is to answer questions, not ask them.”

“This is the reason why.” Delphine pulls up her collared shirt, revealing a bullet wound on her right abdomen. She pulls aside her left bangs, exposing a scar. “There is a balance we must strike between the ethics and the science. If there are no principles, no conscience that binds us, we can easily be led astray.”

Katie nods. “There is something else I wanted to tell you. After we completed the interview, Chairman Mercer himself wanted to meet with me. He wanted to assess my loyalty to the company, and to him. Overall, I think he doesn’t view me as a threat.

“Before I entered his office, I heard him on a video call with a woman with a British accent. The caller said that you could be easily manipulated, just by bringing up someone named Cosima.”

“I see.” Delphine nods, unsure of whether or not to trust the information. “Tell me everything you remember.”

“Mr. Mercer responded that Cosima is right where he wants her. He also wanted the caller to send him a blood sample.” _Rachel._

Delphine digests the information, appreciating how her assistant did not press her about Cosima. “Mr. Mercer, he’s sick, isn’t he?”

“That is the rumor. Frequent headaches, difficulty speaking, cancelled engagements…I’m certain he would be having that checked.”

“What you just told me, you must not tell anyone. Do you understand me?” The assistant nods.

“Scott,” Cosima thinks. “If Katie was the one who betrayed Delphine, I don’t see how she could have survived.”


	9. The Genetic Duplicate

_It’s that half a percent difference that’s triggered so much bigotry and bloodshed in this world._

 

Several months pass, with Cosima toiling away at her research project and Delphine logging long hours at Markson.

“I don’t know how you did it, Cosima, and maybe I don’t want to know. But this would have taken a team of scientists years to complete,” Professor Sanek beams, placing a hand on his advisee’s shoulder.

“That was one heck of a hypothetical you provided,” the scientist says, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. “I find it completely unrealistic that anyone could be blessed with this genetic sequence.”

“That’s the future of human genetics, is it not? Thanks to CRISPR.”

“But whatever pieced together that genome, the means were more rudimentary. It’s as though all the best genes were rolled into one being. I would have assumed you’d pick a more…cursed genome to work with, makes it more challenging to isolate the issue. Now, should we produce the actual cure?”

“What for? You don’t need to concern yourself with that aspect. This is all hypothetical, after all.”

“So now I just have to finish my paper, present a lecture, and wrap up the dissertation. We don’t need to delve into the details of putting it all together?”

“Yes and yes. I’ll be giving you instructions on that part later this week. You’re almost done.”

“Well, there is at least one complication. Unless this genome actually belongs to someone and we can test it, how could anyone believe it actually works?”

“As I said before, we are almost finished here. If you can crack this, I promise to carry you over the finish line. I'll have you graduating and proceeding with your wedding.”

“As you say,” Cosima gathers up her papers.

“One more thing,” Sanek takes off his glasses, placing a tip on the side of his lips. “I’ve been meaning to ask, since you are almost done, have you ever considered working on recreating the legendary concoction of eternal life? I can’t think of a more gifted mind than yourself…”

The scientist raises an eyebrow. “You mean the Ambrosia? I’ve never had any experience working on such a thing if that’s what you’re asking.”

“You mean to tell me you know absolutely nothing about it?”

“I mean, I know of its effects, but I haven’t the slightest clue on how it works or how to put one together.”

“So you never even spoke to your fiancée about it? You were never curious? You’re a student of evolutionary development for Chrissakes!”

“I think she’s gone through enough hell over it. It’s a chapter we choose not to revisit.”

“Interesting.” Sanek shrugs, removes the USB containing Cosima’s research, and leaves.

Dahlia walks over from her desk and taps Cosima on the shoulder. “Hey, I may have overheard a few words. Congratulations on almost finishing. Can I treat the future PhD grad to dinner to celebrate?”

“Um, thank you for the generous offer, but I really should get going.”

“Right. Your puppy…”

 _Not that she’s ever home anymore._ “Look, Dahlia. I really appreciate all of your help these past few months. When it’s over, I promise we’ll go out for a drink or something. But right now, I would like to ask you for a favor...”

 

Cosima winds her way through the hallways of Markson’s Headquarters, searching for Delphine’s office.

“Miss Niehaus! Do you require some assistance?” Jules emerges behind her, flashing his trademark, sickeningly sweet smile. Even in the flesh, he really was quite handsome, with perfect hair and a chiseled jaw.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“I can see Dr. Cormier didn’t tell you she switched offices. I could lead you there. I visit her quite often, after all.” He turns around and presses the elevator button.

“Jules, you don’t need to…”

“That’s Mr. Chairman to you,” he snaps. “Come now, it’ll be faster if you follow me.”

The scientist reluctantly follows him to the elevator, and as the doors open, the occupants nod to the chairman in respect and make a swift exit. He gestures for her to follow, as if his benevolence proved his superiority.

The elevator ride is long and uncomfortable, and Jules eagerly seizes on Cosima’s insecurities. “My director, she’s a hard worker. I have rarely met anyone more dedicated to my cause.”

“I find those who are secure in themselves exhibit no need to flaunt their perceived greatness.”

Jules turns and glares at Cosima, who instantly feels the pang of regret. Why did she say those words? Did she just place her fiancée in a precarious position? If the incident was repeated a hundred times, in ninety-nine of them she would not have been as brash. She would have held back, understood that this man was not worth her time. Finally, the elevator doors open, and Jules’ look of scorn fades into one of bemusement.

“Ah, yes you’re the cheeky one, with the hubris to believe I require a lecture on greatness. You see, sometimes the opportunity for scientific greatness presents itself and you only have one chance to take it. Don’t squander it. Dr. Cormier didn’t.”

Before they reach Delphine’s office, Jules turns around and looks Cosima in the eye. “I suggest you study the cards in your hand, and try not to overplay them.”

“So I’ve been warned before.”

Jules chuckles before gritting his teeth. “If you weren’t a scientific genius, I wouldn’t have taken such an interest in you. Now, allow me to…augh!” He seethes, taking a few steps towards her before freezing in his tracks and pushing his thumbs into his temples.

“You’re bleeding…”

Jules takes out a handkerchief and covers his nose. Before he can utter another word, Cosima slips into the office and closes the door behind her.

“May I assist you, ma’am?” Katie looks up from her computer.

“Yes, I came to see Dr. Cormier.”

“Do you have an appointment scheduled?”

 _Do you know who the hell I am?_ “That’s funny, is she in or not?”

“Let her in, Katie.” Delphine stands at the doorway.

Cosima flashes a smug grin at the assistant and follows the doctor into her office. “Hey, is it just me or is there something about Jules that feels oddly familiar?”

“I get those vibes sometimes too. So what brings you here? You miss me?”

“You know it. Listen, do you think Susan can grant me access to her lab again?”

“After what you’ve done for Ira, I don’t see why she wouldn’t. Is it urgent?”

“Just…as soon as possible. And can you see if Scott could join me in the lab as well? It’d be really helpful, you know, for my dissertation.” Her project had been eerily similar to finding a cure for Ira, albeit vastly more difficult.

“Okay,” Delphine trusted her enough to not ask questions. “Why don’t you take a seat in Katie’s office, and I’ll see if it can arranged?”

“You have a webinar in ten minutes…” Katie reminds her.

“I’ll have an answer by then.” Delphine winks at her fiancée and picks up the phone.

Cosima sits down and notices a few copies of _Markson Magazine_ sprawled across the table. She picks up the most recent edition and flips through the pages.

 _Mostly just fluff pieces about Jules. Figures._ One feature in particular catches her eye.

“Prof. Malcolm Rothman, Chair of the Biology Department at Stanford University, recently completed pioneering research into the spread of invasive pine bark beetles in Guatemala,” Cosima reads to herself. “Through a partnership with Markson Corporation, Rothman received full funding…” 

That was interesting. Why did she assume her former advisor had been awarded a government grant? Further down the article, she discovers a quote of effusive praise for Markson attributed the professor. _That certainly does not sync with his personality._

“Cosima?” Delphine steps into Katie’s office. “Ira will be over in a moment to escort you to the lab. Scott will also meet you there.”

 

Down in Susan’s lab, Cosima takes out an external hard drive containing backup data of Sanek’s test genome, which Dahlia had agreed to loan her. A grateful Ira grants her access to their system, which unbeknownst to him, included the genetic database.

“Hi Cosima, I brought company.” Scott is followed by an old friend, Hell Wizard, a technology expert he recently recruited to help with the Moirae.

“That’s awesome, because I’m seriously going to use all the help I can get.” She gives Hell Wizard a hug and watches Ira leave. “While I was searching for Ira’s cure, I discovered that Susan has access to the genetic information of virtually every person who has ever been swabbed for DNA. That includes marrow donors, genealogy enthusiasts, convicted rapists...their information all ended up in this system, likely without their consent.”

She places a hand on the hard drive. “I’m going to take a chance and see if the genome my advisor provided actually matches with a real person. Someone with impossibly perfect genes, like they won the genetic lottery, yet appears to be glitching. And I want to find out what they want from me.”

“I thought you said he provided a test genome,” Scott says. “If this is a real person, it could be that he has a daughter with an incurable disease for all we know.”

“The genome belongs to a Caucasian male,” Cosima hooks the hard drive to the computer. “And I probably should have done my due diligence before leaping into this project headfirst.” They spend the afternoon searching millions of white men for a match.

“This database is an egregious breach of privacy,” Hell Wizard notes, reading a comic book as the system continues its search. “To have so much personal genetic information at their disposal…”

“There’s a match!” Scott shouts excitedly. “With 99.998% certainty. Looks like we should have expanded our search to the deceased earlier. Oh my God,” he breathes. “PT Westmoreland?”

Cosima raises an eyebrow and walks up to Scott’s monitor. “No, how is that even possible?”

Should she really have been so surprised? Her greatest fears had just been confirmed, but a part of her still refused to believe it was possible, that her research could have been exploited in such a way. “For what purpose would they have me looking at a dead man? He didn’t even have the best genetics.”

“If your research was intended for any practical usage, to actually cure anyone…this makes zero sense,” Scott notes.

“Any two human beings would have a roughly 99.5% genetic similarity,” Cosima says. “It’s that half a percent difference that’s triggered so much bigotry and bloodshed in this world…but to go up to 99.99%...there would have to be someone out there who looks and acts like him…do we have any pictures of younger Westmoreland?”

“Yeah, I recall seeing an old newspaper photograph of him before,” Hell Wizard says. They gather around his laptop as he pulls up one of PT’s obituaries, featuring a picture of the Neolutionist founder posing with a young Ethan and Susan Duncan.

“He looks slightly familiar, but the picture is grainy…” Scott mutters.

“Did you know that even the name PT Westmoreland is a fraud?” Cosima asks. “His real name was John.”

“What are you trying to say?” Scott asks. “Because if you’re suggesting what I think you are, that’s completely outrageous. It’s crazy.”

“John Patrick Mathieson. Jules Percival Mercer.”

“Jules?” Scott asks, bewildered at the suggestion. “You think he’s PT’s son or something?”

“No, you only receive half of your DNA from your father,” Cosima replies. “When Jules was openly praising Westmoreland, he didn’t just emulate him. He is him.”


	10. The Amateur Sleuth

_When you feel powerless against people like this, just don’t be like them and move on._

 

“The cowards! They’re cowards!”

Cosima paces around the apartment after recounting her discovery to Delphine. She had returned to Stanford that afternoon only to find Professor Sanek missing and unavailable to provide any explanation, any acknowledgement of what he had done.

 

“What’s his number?” The scientist had barked at Dahlia.

“He disabled his phone," the assistant trembled. "I’m sorry, but I don’t have any more answers than you do.”

“The coward!” She wanted to confront her advisor with the evidence they uncovered shortly after linking his test genome to PT Westmoreland’s. She longed to hear him defend his research papers with Dr. Ian Van Lier, justify his revoked credentials, explain why he concocted a bogus fellowship and never requested board approval for her dissertation project.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Cosima fumed. “He placed you there, in Rothman’s office that day…”

“If I had known, why would I have given you the hard drive? Yes, I could tell he held a particular interest in you, that he probably wasn’t telling the whole truth…”

“But you didn’t care. After all, he let you work with me.”

“I’m sorry he ghosted you, okay? He left me without any explanation as well. Please…I hope this doesn’t impact our friendship.”

“I don’t want to see you ever again," Cosima scoffed. "I never should have trusted any one of you!” She storms out of Sanek’s office, leaving Dahlia distraught and alone.

 

“I am such an idiot,” Cosima sinks down into the couch, quaking in anger and despair. “I was so excited at the prospect of finally graduating so we can start a life together, and I bought the first thing that was offered to me!”

“Hey!” Delphine snaps. “When you feel powerless against people like this, just don’t be like them and move on. It could have been worse. Take this as a lesson learned.”

“Oh, so I just got screwed over, but that’s okay because I can take comfort in the fact that I’m not them?!”

“I don’t deny how wrong this was, but there is a time to despair and then you have to go about your life the best you can. You can still live your best life now. If I dwelled on every slight, I would have died from heartbreak years ago. But I decided to live on my terms and not to live for them. Listen, I’ll talk to him.”

“I’d rather you not,” Cosima replies, shaking her head. “Of course you’d defend Jules’ actions. I likely just saved his life, after all.”

Delphine furrows her brow. “What is this about? Do you even know what you’re talking about?”

“You sure are spending a lot more time with him than you are with your own fiancée.”

“I thought you understood this. We are coworkers.”

“Just coworkers. Right.”

“Look, Cosima, I know this is an emotional moment right now. But I can’t have this. If you are still unable to trust me, how can we share a future together?”

“Is there even a future when I’m the only one maintaining this household and holding up this relationship?”

“Well, if you want to play tit for tat, who is paying for everything? How else will we fund the trip to inoculate all the Leda sisters?”

“Who would I have to go with? You’re almost never here.”

“You have Sarah. And Alison.”

“I thought we discussed this before! We are a team. Have you considered how I would feel about you bailing on this?”

Delphine sighs. “I simply cannot leave the company right now, not when there is so much at stake. And when was the last time you asked how I was doing? It’s remarkable, isn’t it, to be at the center of everything and suddenly realize not every consideration revolves around your needs.”

Cosima stares at her fiancée, caught completely speechless. In their first argument since Camp Revival, it had not occurred to her that she was not the only one with reason to be resentful.

“Do you honestly believe I want to be the center of attention, the center of all this crazy shit that’s been happening to the clones?”

“I’m sorry,” Delphine sighs. “It does not matter to me that…”

“No, I…get where you’re coming from,” Cosima backtracks. “It’s not about the money for me either, and it doesn’t matter to me what job you take on. We’re both stressed and emotional right now, and…I should not have said those words.”

“I am trying to help you. There are those who exploit and destroy, but you need to keep on building regardless of them!”

Cosima nods and manages a weak smile. She stands up, pulling Delphine into a hug. The doctor kisses her fiancée on the cheek. “Don’t forget that I will still love you and spend my life with you, doctorate or not.”

They had started down a dark path but swallowed their pride to avert disaster. The argument had ended before they traveled too deep, a wildfire extinguished before running its course. However, there were no guarantees they would be as fortunate the next time.

 

***

 

“Let’s fast forward to the day after I discovered my dissertation was a lie,” Cosima thinks. “I’m afraid Delphine may have said or done something on my behalf.”

Scott finds the date and pulls a memory from the morning after the revelation. Delphine walks a few blocks from their apartment and enters the back seat of a black sedan. Cosima slides into the seat beside her, facing the backs of Susan, who sits in the front passenger seat, and Ira, the driver.

“I’ve been trying to reach you all morning,” Susan berates the doctor. “I need to tell you something before Jules controls of the narrative…”

“I thought we were allies, but apparently you have not been forthright.” Delphine holds up a folder and Susan takes it, poring over photographs of a young PT and documents establishing the link between the Neolutionist founder and Jules’ DNA. “So is this your leverage?”

Susan turns around in shock. “I grant Cosima access to my lab as a favor and this is what she does.”

“She just wasted her past year curing Jules’ genetic disease. I wonder who recommended her and told him she wouldn’t be so easily enticed to such a project.”

“I promised you I would keep her safe. So long as she was working on his cure willingly, they won’t touch her. But if she confronts her advisor with this information, she’ll be putting herself at risk.”

“So you knew,” Delphine scoffs. “And your timeline proves otherwise. Cosima began work on the project two weeks before I started with Markson.”

“I knew they were planning to recruit you, and I knew you would accept. We are alike, after all. And once that happened…Jules was running out of time, running out of options…he had months to live at best.”

“All this time, you knew his DNA matches that of Westmoreland’s and that the truth would negatively impact his image. That’s how you blackmailed him for a seat at the table. And now, you’re using me to eliminate him from the chairmanship. You really are a genius.”

“Can you listen to yourself speak? How could a thirty-something-year-old man be one and the same as a dead centenarian? Do you even understand the science?”

“No, and I suggest you explain yourself if you expect an ally on the Board and not someone who could expose everything you’ve done to undermine him.”

“He’s a clone, Dr. Cormier! Like Ira and Cosima and the rest!”

Delphine and Ira find themselves frozen in their seats, astonished by Susan’s confirmation. Finally, Ira breaks the silence. “Then who created him? Did you…”

“Decades ago, PT began displaying the symptoms of cancer. It was terminal,” Susan explains. “He was dying and afraid he would not live to see his life’s work completed. So he preserved genetic samples, so that pieces of himself could live on and finish the job.

“Shortly after the success of Project Leda, my late husband Ethan and PT had a falling out. Ethan believed PT stole the credit and snubbed him of a well-deserved promotion. Back then, the founder had nothing to pay us with but in debts and promises. We feared constantly for our lives.

“Ethan wanted to create leverage, strengthen our position before the day our project delivers its return on investment. He tried and failed several dozen times to create a successful clone of PT. But when he finally succeeded, his clone came with genetic alternations, ensuring the strongest traits while keeping the original’s character.

“PT never intended for any of his clones to be living at the same time he did. He understood their ambitions and egos would collide, so what better way to spite the man than by creating a smarter, better version of himself? Ethan would just have to bring up his clone’s existence and offer to disclose its location in exchange for whatever he wanted.

“But tensions cooled and Ethan returned to PT’s good graces. The founder survived his bout with cancer, the remaining embryos were destroyed in the Cambridge lab fire, and he never bothered to preserve new ones. He honestly believed he would live forever. And when Ethan died, we all just forgot about it.

“I visited Jules back when he lived at the orphanage. He was brilliant even then. Removed his bot all by himself when he was just a teenager. Unlike PT, he actually understood the science. And then, suddenly the contents of the Black Book were released for all the world to see. And when Jules read about the samples PT kept of himself, he became self-aware and realized that they were one and the same.

“Instead of cowering in shame, Jules felt anointed. Not only that, he was the master of his own fate, unconstrained by limitations, incapable of missteps, and free of defects. Their minds may be the same, but Jules believed he would avoid the tragic fate of his genetic original.

“What PT, and now Jules, understood is that for their dream to succeed, they must win over the public. They knew the importance of inoculating the masses from reason, so that when their followers hear anything contradictory to the message, they’ll dismiss it. And so you now see him charming the media and influencing political power players. In the end, the philosophy is still Neolution, but instead of a fringe scientific cult it will become a mainstream movement.

“However, the technology back then is not as advanced as it is today, and Jules has suffered from painful glitches all his life. It will still take Dr. Coady time to prepare Cosima’s cure, and without it he may not have long to live. Now…is that being forthright enough for you?”

“You profited from this secret and then turned me against him for your own personal gain,” Delphine seethes. “If you hated him for his ruthless greed, why would you lead him to Cosima? Why not let him die?”

“Because as I’ve said before, Jules is not the endgame. It has always been about Neolution. If he dies now, they will escape, regroup, and perpetuate. Since they have infiltrated Markson, we must bring the entire operation down.”

“I thought our goal was to shut down human cloning!" Delphine exclaims. "This was all that I wanted, but instead you used the issue as a means to manipulate my emotions! You wanted to launch a coup, and then the only person who could save the company would naturally be you.”

“Stop at human cloning? Jules wants to implant a chip inside every sentient being on the planet! Halt his cloning experiment today, and he’ll find some other unethical project to pursue tomorrow. I’ve lived my life and made my peace; I have no ambitions of becoming Chairwoman. The only person interested in a coup is Rachel. The goal from the start was to end Neolution, and you knew it.”

“And then someone else takes his place until the next leader comes along. When does it end?”

“It doesn’t mean we don’t stand up to evil. Which brings me to what I’ve been trying to tell you: Van Lier is dead. Jules will spin it one way or the other, but I believe Ian was wearing a wire for the Feds. Somewhere down the line, Jules likely poisoned him and refused to provide an antidote once he suspected his COO lacked sufficient loyalty.”

“Cosima, I think we’ve seen enough of Susan,” Sarah interrupts. “Delphine already told us all this. Can we focus on Jules, considering that you accused him of poisoning her?”

“Wait,” the scientist thinks. “Scott, I need more time.”

“They’re going to hold a vote next month, to aggressively pursue human cloning and approve hundreds of millions of dollars in funding,” Susan says. “They will need a 60% majority this time, which means five votes from the remaining eight. They are planning to grant Dr. Koh more stake in the program and this time, I don’t think he’ll be voting with us. The only possible swing vote is Rachel.”

“Then it’s as good as passed. Susan, I’ve been feeding you all this information for the SEC so that we could shut down human cloning. And now you’ve dragged this battle into a war.”

“The thing about wars: they must end quickly. If you’re not all in, you’ll only serve to drag it out. If this vote passes, the Ledas will be at risk again. But first, we are going to meet a credible source who may provide us with information about a certain lab.”

“Lab 64?” Ira asks. “I thought that was a myth. They can’t be so reckless as to…”

“Dr. Cormier, you believe that I am using you to wrest control of Markson and establish myself as its savior,” Susan says. “But let me tell you, if the lab exists, there will be nothing left to save.”

“That was it,” Cosima thinks. “All this time, Delphine was working with Susan to expose Markson to the government! When Ian did that, he was poisoned to death. Scott, can you look up his obituary and see what poison it was?”

“Cos, who was Susan’s source?” Sarah asks. “Will they have any intelligence for us?”

“I don’t know. Scott, could you fast forward?”

“Hold up, I can only take care of eighteen things at once. Okay…they are heading to a…nail salon?”

“Is that…Krystal?” Delphine asks, surprised to find the vain esthetician and conspiracy theorist. Even now, they were uncertain if she had truly accepted her identity as a Leda clone. “That’s your credible source? She was by far the most difficult one to inoculate. The crazy things that leave her mouth…”

Scott fast forwards through the initial meeting: Krystal running to the women’s room at the first sight of Ira, and Delphine gently cajoling her to come out. Finally, the clone agrees to join them for lunch if her friend Brie could join them and Ira stays away.

“How lucky it must be to win an all expense paid vacation to San Francisco,” Delphine muses, looking over to Susan as they sit inside the diner.

“Yes, Brie thought it was like a total scam but it’s literally been like so much fun,” Krystal nods.

“Ms. Goderitch, if I may ask, you’ve been looking into this drug…” Susan says.

“Yeah, that’s why this trip was so helpful,” Krystal replies. “I’ve been looking into the Deal with the Devil.” Delphine raises an eyebrow. “You know, the drug with a thousand names? Whoever manufactured it never bothered to give it a name so goes by a number of them. Some call it Waif, as it has no known creator. Others call it Quartz, after the crystal substance that pokes out of the user’s skin. You mean you really never heard of it?”

“It’s been surfacing around the world,” Susan explains. “Could you imagine: a drug that can get you high with no side effects?”

“How is that possible?” the doctor asks. “Illicit substances can simulate the thrill of a near death experience, but I don’t believe this can be done in the absence of an actual experience.”

“That’s true. It’s not possible,” Susan replies. “And when they were first introduced on the streets, everything seemed fine. But then, all at once, users experienced the side effects: paralysis, heart failure, death…all while the DEA looked the other way. Now who do you think has the ability to dream, the wealth to fund, and the means to concoct such an outlandish scheme?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Krystal rolls her eyes. “The Neos.”

“She gets it,” Susan says.

“And where is it being manufactured, this drug?” Delphine asks.

“Well,” Krystal looks around the diner and drops her voice to a whisper. “I’m only telling you this because you cured me from that disease of death or whatever, but…my sources say it was cooked up in the granddaddy of all evil science experiments, from the serum of eternal life to the Deal with the Devil. Markson’s own Lab 64.”

“It doesn’t exist,” Delphine answers reflexively, tired of all the questions she’s been asked about it.

“Then I say prove it,” Susan turns to the clone. “Ms. Goderitch, should this lab exist, where do you think it would be located?”


	11. Lab 64

_You would sooner plunge us back to the dark ages, to the days of plague and famine!_

 

The night following the revelation, Cosima is reading in bed when she hears her phone ring. _Better not be Dahlia again._ To her surprise, Krystal’s name appears on the caller ID. “Hello?”

“You’re the scientist geek or whatever, right?” Well, that was one way to make an introduction. “Is that French doctor you hang out with around?”

Cosima rubs her left temple. “She’s…taking a shower. What is it?”

“Good because I want to know what the heck is going on. Brie and I were just enjoying a nice day trip in Frisco and next thing I know, your doctor friend’s like hounding me for intel on Lab 64.”

“What? Krystal, both Delphine and Scott have assured me that lab does not exist.”

“That’s what they want you to think. Listen, I believe that lab has something to do with that life serum thing. I have a hunch the French doctor lady is probably trying to like poach the secrets of longevity. Although I’m pretty sure she’d have better luck interrogating the corporate brass at Estée Lauder if you know what I mean.”

“Wait, what exactly did Delphine talk to you about?”

“The doctor lady? Only the biggest thing on the street right now: the Deal with the Devil.”

“Krystal, are you okay right now?”

“Tell your doctor friend to stay away from me. That is all.” She hangs up. _Crazy woman._

Cosima discovers five missed calls from Dahlia and hesitantly opens a text. _Please call me. There’s something important I need to say._  The scientist sighs and calls her old lab partner, who picks up after one ring.

“Please hear me out and don’t hang up. I visited Rothman today and explained what happened. He’s impressed with your work.”

“Bullshit. Nothing fazes the guy.”

“He is willing to continue as your dissertation advisor.”

“Don’t. Don’t play with my emotions like that. I’m not going through this again.”

“You were almost done. Come. Visit his office tomorrow.”

“You didn’t need to do this for me.” Cosima sighs, wishing it could be possible. “I’ll think about it. Thank you, Dahlia.”

When Delphine steps out of the shower, the scientist tells her about the two phone calls.

“Well, you have nothing to lose with Rothman, so let’s hope for the best,” the doctor says, drying her hair. “As for Krystal, yes, I did see her this morning, with Susan.”

“Susan again…I told you, you can’t completely trust her.”

“There’s been some…suspicious activity at the company. We’re working together to stop it."

“Okay…and what is her endgame?”

“It’s all confidential. I can’t discuss that right now.”

“And Krystal, seriously? I mean, she was right about you being alive before, but…Krystal?”

“It’s true, Krystal doesn’t strike me as the most credible character. But if this lab exists, I want to know as much about it as possible.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me? Are you afraid I can’t take it? I thought we agreed to be open with one another.”

“I did warn you they were planning to restart human cloning and recreate the Ambrosia.”

“But not that you were working with Susan!”

“Listen to me. I need to protect all of us. I will explain everything to you, when I am able. Please believe me.”

Cosima nods silently, and Delphine kisses her on the forehead. The scientist brings her laptop to bed while the doctor picks up a novel, as she had been suffering from insomnia lately.

“After working so hard, I would think you’d fall asleep as soon as you come to bed,” Cosima muses. “Don’t tell me you slipped a vial of Ambrosia and used it on yourself.” It hadn’t been until the serum’s effects wore off that Delphine enjoyed a good night’s rest.

“What? No, why would I do that? And what are you working on – I thought the dissertation ended?” the doctor says, playfully nudging at her fiancée’s side.

“Have you heard of the drug DWD?”

“I have not. Is that the chemical compound?”

“No, it stands for Deal with the Devil.”

“Oh. Did you read about it in the news?”

“There isn’t a lot about it online. It’s a drug that can get you high without negatively impacting the body…like pot, just exponentially more intense. But now the first cases of human casualties are being reported.

“Isn’t that an interesting concept for a wonder drug? I mean, virtually everyone has a hole in the heart, some larger than others. In order to cover and mask that insecurity, we fill it up with hobbies, family, exercise, religion, charity, drugs, sex, all sorts of stuff.

“But if they were to actually synthesize a substance that takes away the pain…the inventor would wake up a trillionaire for sure.”

Cosima turns to Delphine, who stares back with a reticent yet intrigued demeanor. For a moment, the scientist wanted to press on, to ask her fiancée if Krystal had discussed the drug with her.

But instead Cosima shuts her laptop and rests her head on the pillow. If she had asked, she could have caught the doctor in a lie, and that would just signal the end of a relationship that was already beginning to unravel. So for now, she preferred not to know.

 

***

 

“No results are coming up on the cause of Ian’s death,” Scott says, scrolling through his phone. “Coroner’s report states unspecified illness, that’s it. Shall we head to the next memory?”

Cosima stands in Jules’ office, watching the chairman interact with Delphine. He was more aggrieved than ever before, with the FTC blocking Markson’s proposed merger with several communication companies.

“It’s a shame to lose someone so dear to our company,” Jules says, pouring a glass of champagne.

“I’ve had my disagreements with Ian, but he did save me at Camp Revival,” Delphine replies.

“Now, we can’t afford to have tragedy befall anymore of us, wouldn’t you say? Let’s have whatever happened in our past, stay in the past. Shall we drink to a new partnership?” He offers her the champagne flute but she declines.

“Is Rachel his replacement?”

“I believe she will rise to the occasion.”

“You know she betrayed Westmoreland. You’re not afraid she’ll do the same to you?”

“What is this really about?”

“Mr. Chairman, as you know Cosima Niehaus worked very hard on your cure. While I can sympathize with your ordeal, to deceive her and lure her advisor away from her dissertation project…”

“Oh, I should have simply asked, shouldn’t I? Miss Niehaus, would you so kindly take the time to research my DNA and prolong my life? Because she’s not the cheeky, stubborn brat you’ve described in your monitor reports! What else did Susan tell you about me?!”

Delphine remains poised and unflinching in spite of his tirade. “I didn’t need her to find out about your genetic history.”

“I’m not ashamed of who I am! Are you planning to blackmail me? Is it money you want? Have I not compensated you enough?!”

“No, we are not planning on going public with this.”

“Then what is the point of all this?!” he thunders, his body writhing in agony.

“You can do whatever you want with me, Mr. Chairman. But Cosima, leave her out of this. If you have an issue or a grievance, bring it up to me.”

“You don’t get to dictate what I do!” He seizes the champagne flute and splashes its contents over Delphine’s blazer.

“Cosima, stay back,” Scott orders before the scientist realizes she had almost charged forward.

“The madman…spiking her drink again?” Sarah asks.

“No, I think he slipped the antidote,” Cosima sighs. “He wouldn’t want too many board members suspiciously dead at once. It’s shocking what a few months of glitching and fawning press coverage can do to a guy.”

Delphine stands firm. “I know how hard you’re working to preserve Markson’s standing as a paragon of ethics. But if we restart human cloning…”

“You know what I can’t stand? It’s people like you who want us to be powerless against nature! You would sooner plunge us back to the dark ages, to the days of plague and famine! You think science is evil.”

“No, I believe it’s wonderful, discovering the processes of the universe,” Delphine replies, trying to fit her words in as quickly as she could. “Modern medicine, transportation, communication, they are all advances that have contributed to human civilization. But there are certain boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. We can’t play God. We need to decide when to draw the line…”

“That’s enough, Delphine!” Relations between the two had worsened. None of her departments’ accomplishments could satisfy him, yet she chose to stay on and protect her employees. Jules understood the doctor commanded a level of respect that would make her difficult to fire, but she was not invincible. “Unfortunately, our company will be undergoing some budget cuts and, as a result, we won’t be able to sponsor your work visa next year. I’m sure you understand.”

Delphine nods in resignation and leaves. The memory fades, and Cosima feels guilty for possibly being the reason her fiancée did not receive the antidote.

“Cos, we know what’s going to happen in the next few weeks,” Sarah says. “Delphine and Susan try to persuade Rachel to vote against human cloning but fail. They likely continue their partnership and gather information to bring down Markson. Can we move closer to the day they came for Kira?”

“Wait, I just received a text from Hell Wizard about Lab 64.” Scott stares at his phone. “He believes Delphine may have accessed it.”

“What?!” Cosima thinks. “I thought Krystal was just spouting her usual nonsense…God, no. No no no. Tell me she did not…” There are no walls for Cosima to charge against as she throws her hands up in frustration.

Scott uploads a picture of Hell Wizard onto the Moirae, and Cosima is transported to a comic book shop.

“Can I help you miss?” Hell Wizard asks.

“I’m Director Cormier, Scott and Cosima’s friend. You’ve been working on the Moirae, and you’ve handled security at the Dyad before, correct? I’m going to need your help accessing Lab 64.”

“Okay. Well, first of all I know of you, but I actually don’t know you that well. If we bring your friends here…”

“No, we cannot involve them. They must not know. It would place them in danger.”

Hell Wizard drops his comic book and folds his arms. “What exactly are you proposing?”

“For a curious mind like yourself, surely you must have noticed something unusual going on in the East Wing of Markson.”

“Well…yes, of course. The security there is vastly disproportionate. It’s like they blew their entire safety budget on that building. If you’re looking for an underground lab, there is a zone of silence in one corner…where nothing, not even reception can penetrate.”

“Can you help me access it?”

“If I do, it’s your funeral. Even I knew better than to keep digging. Whatever they’ve kept hidden over there, they want to keep it that way.”

“Cosima’s sisters could be down there. We cannot wait another day. Surely you are up for the challenge.”

“And what am I supposed to tell Scott and Cosima once you disappear from the face of the earth?”

“Tell them that they are the finest individuals I know and to forgive me.”

Hell Wizard glances at the floor and then back up at the determined doctor. “I will need at least one month to track and study their system. Perhaps there is an ideal time of the day when security is minimal and I can hack the surveillance cameras.”

The memory fades.

“Damnit, why does she keep pulling crazy shit like this?!” Cosima cries out, rubbing her thumbs against her temples.

Scott fast forwards one month later. That morning, Delphine kisses Cosima farewell before leaving for Markson Headquarters. The doctor places her work phone in her desk drawer, knowing the company would track the GPS signal to her office.

Delphine grants Katie access to the location of her personal smartphone and instructs her to call the police if she doesn’t return in an hour. She offers no further details, and Katie understood her well enough not to ask.

The doctor puts on a Bluetooth and slips out to the East Wing, with Hell Wizard looping security camera footage along the way.

“Take the stairs down to level B5 and enter the code 37452,” Hell Wizard instructs through the Bluetooth. “Security isn’t expected for at least another twenty minutes. There won’t be any signal for me to communicate with you after you enter…you will debrief Scott and Cosima after this, right?”

“Yes, don’t worry.” Delphine shuts off the Bluetooth and places the device in her pocket. She reaches the bottom floor and as promised, there is no security in sight. She punches in the code and the laboratory doors swing open, exposing a dark room with few glimmers of light.

The doctor turns on the camera light of her smartphone and cautiously makes her way inside. Her skin crawls and blood runs cold as she relives the nights she spent in Westmoreland’s basement. Cosima can hear her fiancée’s heart beating through her ears, inhale the nauseous stench of chlorine and rotting flesh.

Delphine passes through cryogenic tanks and boxes full of unmarked white pills, taking pictures as she went. _Deal with the Devil._

The doctor turns around and notices a large, red cocoon hanging from the ceiling, with what appeared to be human hair protruding from the top. She reaches the top of the cocoon, pulls the zipper down, and jolts back in horror. A pale-skinned woman with Cosima’s face stares blankly back, her expression sealed in shock. Crystalline growths protrude from her lower lip and neck. _Quartz._

It had been over a year since Delphine last experimented in Westmoreland’s basement, but the flashbacks still haunt and paralyze her. Gathering her courage, she takes a deep breath and looks into the distance, noticing several red cocoons swinging from the ceiling, presumably filled with more Leda clones. _Merde…_

“Hell…me…”

“Who’s there?” A Leda clone topples over and onto Delphine, pinning her to the ground. The doctor screams and flails in an attempt to escape, but the clone continues to squirm.

A gunshot fires through the air, and Delphine gasps as the clone finally releases her. Ferdinand lowers his pistol and picks up the doctor’s phone, erasing all the pictures she took.

“We meet again, Dr. Cormier.” Rachel, her face still disfigured from the fire, utters from her wheelchair. She wears an eye patch, her bionic eye having been destroyed in the fire.

Delphine reaches over to the clone, searching for the bullet wound. By the time she locates it, the clone had already slipped away in her arms.

“Rachel…you knew about this lab," the doctor quakes in anger. "All this time. You could have shared their fate, and you still let this happen!”

“But I am not one of them,” Rachel masks her condescension beneath a veneer of dignified calm. “I serve at the pleasure of our Chairman, while you chose to back the losing horse with my mother. Do you think they’re going to let you live after what you’ve done, what you’ve seen?”

“ _Qui vivra verra._ ”

Rachel wheels herself forward but is interrupted before she can open her mouth.

“Dr. Cormier, they’ve called an emergency board meeting. You won’t want to be late.”

Delphine looks up in shock. “Katie! What are you doing here?” Her assistant’s very presence in Lab 64 placed her in grave danger.

“Why yes, and you have a meeting to attend as well, Rachel,” Ferdinand says. “Since we are all headed in the same direction, why don’t we escort Dr. Cormier directly?”

Delphine stands up, takes her assistant aside, and whispers, “You did not follow my instructions. Return to your office at once while I decide what to do with you.” The doctor snatches her phone from Ferdinand on the way out.

They make their way to the boardroom, which has descended into a chaotic shouting match. Jules sits at the edge of the table, his arms crossed and face agitated.

“This is not regular order,” Vijay protests. “This is a meeting called at the last minute before we had any time to study the proposal put before us.”

“Where were you?” Susan marches over and whispers to Delphine. “If you had come before Rachel, they would have lacked the 60% majority.”

“And then he wouldn’t have held the vote.”

Rachel takes out her cane and passes the doctor on the way to her seat. “ _Vous devez comprendre que votre place n'est pas au conseil d'administration_ ,” she sneers before muttering under her breath, “ _Vous vieille guoine…_ ”

It requires all the restraint Delphine could muster to stop herself from responding in kind. The doctor and the corporate clone have clashed on opposing ends dating back to their employment at the Dyad Institute. Most of the time, Rachel had managed to outmaneuver her.

“Rachel needs to say these things to assert her superiority,” Susan holds the doctor back. “We’re held to a higher standard than she. Don’t fall for her trap – I need you to say clear-eyed and focused during the meeting, please.”

Delphine refocuses her attention. “What’s happening, Susan?”

“Precisely everything that I have been telling you. They are going to exercise the Leda patent. If this vote passes, they will likely seize the three individuals in this world known to hold the powers of regeneration.”

“And they are…”

“The children of the only fertile Ledas: Sarah and Helena’s.”

“ _Merde_ …Susan! No one from the Old Guard is going to change their mind. There’s nothing we can do to persuade Rachel. She is even more dishonorable than we could have ever imagined. Is there anything that could be done to stop this?”

“I’m afraid not. Jules is about to have everything he ever wanted and nothing is standing in his way.”


	12. The Leda Patent

_There is a time to fight and a time to survive._

 

“Don’t worry, I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere.”

Cosima is lying on their bed as Delphine hovers over her, covering her fiancée with kisses. There was an urgency now in the way the doctor kissed her, as if she had come to grips with her own mortality.

“Good,” Delphine kneels on the bed. “Because if I hear one more quip about a French surrender leave your mouth...”

“Hey, that was only one time. Maybe two,” Cosima replies. “Something’s on your mind. What’s going on?”

Delphine was aging so fast, with wrinkles creasing her eyes and mouth. Still as beautiful to the scientist as she had always been, but there was something peculiar about her presence. The doctor’s frame is frail, her face pale and gaunt.

“Are we okay?” Delphine asks. “You know you are the most important thing in the world to me.”

Cosima sits up with a troubled look on her face and sighs. “You can’t blame me if I question that sometimes. But I get it. Your job doesn’t compromise, but I can. I just hope you understand that you can tell me anything.”

“I know.” Delphine puts on her blouse and readies herself for the day ahead.

“You’ve been coughing up blood in the sink. Will you please see a doctor? I know you’re always busy, but you need to stay alive in order to continue on. Give me your insurance card and I’ll make the appointment.”

Delphine relents and hands her fiancée the card. “ _Merci_.”

Cosima takes it but continues to grip the doctor’s hand. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Delphine holds Cosima’s chin and reassures her beloved with a parting kiss before leaving to investigate Lab 64. Even after all these years, the scientist never tired from the doctor’s kisses: the intensity of them, the transfer of her love, the sweet taste of her lips that would linger for hours.

As the door closes, Cosima turns herself over on the bed and begins to weep.

 

 

***

 

The hours following the board vote would be critical. Ferdinand and Frontenac prepare to fly to Canada to claim custody of Sarah and Helena’s children. Delphine stands outside the boardroom, placing a frantic phone call to Katie with instructions to book a plane ticket to Toronto.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Susan corners her after the call. “Markson has a legal right to their children, and if you try to stop them they will kill you.”

“Susan, you promised me you’ll keep Cosima safe!”

“And if you want to save both of your lives, I suggest you lie low and stay away from her,” Susan retorts. “Now is not the time for hysterics. Is there something…you are not telling me?”

Delphine pauses but realizing she might not escape the ordeal alive, she relents. “Lab 64 exists. Floor B5 of the East Wing. I found the missing Ledas.”

“What have you done? Do they know that you know? They are going to scrub the lab clean, wipe away the evidence…”

“I saw dying and dead Leda clones. DWD pills. Susan, we have to end it. I’m going to the airport and warn the Leda sisters.”

“If the lab exists then everything, including Markson’s claim to the Leda patent, it could all be over soon,” Susan notes. “Delphine, I’ve been playing this game longer than you have. I know that you are stubborn and will ignore everything I say. But don’t board that flight.”

The doctor is already halfway down the hall, but she turns back one more time. “You made me a promise, Susan. I don’t care how you do it, but you need to keep it! Expose them.”

Delphine rushes out the building and calls Mrs. S, Sarah’s adoptive mother and grandmother to Kira, as she hails a cab. A limousine pulls up and Ferdinand exits the front passenger seat, opening the back door for her.

“Dr. Cormier, are you heading to the airport as well? Why don’t you come join us?”

“I don’t believe we’re headed the same way. Rachel has access to private planes.”

Ferdinand pulls his jacket to the side, revealing the pistol tucked to his waist, and gives her a knowing nod.

 _Merde._ Delphine reluctantly enters the vehicle, ending the phone call before she can speak to Mrs. S.

“Uh-uh,” Ferdinand holds out his hand, and the doctor relinquishes her smartphone.

“You know Rachel doesn’t love you,” Delphine mutters as the limousine pulls away. “She’s using you like she used all of us: PT, Ian, me…”

“You understand nothing about our relationship,” Ferdinand replies matter-of-factly. “I saved her life and we are doing just fine, thank you very much.”

“Do you view me as a threat? If I was to tell anyone what I saw in that lab, I would be dismissed as insane. The degree of evil perpetuated…is inconceivable to the common imagination.”

“Dr. Cormier, it befuddles me how many times you think you can survive. For people in my line of work, we understand that someday the luck will run out. We enjoy the finer things in life while we can. You should have understood the same.”

Delphine clutches her waist and moans. “I need to use the restroom.”

“We’ll be at San Jose International in ten minutes.”

“I need to go now.”

Ferdinand sighs and gestures to the driver. The limousine pulls to a stop at a gas station, and Delphine makes a mental note of the street and store names.

“Any funny business and you’ll be quickly dispatched, are we clear?” Ferdinand closely follows the doctor out and into the station.

“Hey, watch it!” A customer yells in Delphine’s face after she bumps into him.

“I’m sorry,” she says and quickly enters the restroom.

“Five minutes. I’ll be right outside,” Ferdinand mutters as she locks the door.

The doctor whips out the smartphone she snatched from the customer’s pocket, and she is greeted with three rows of white dots. _Merde._ How would she be able to guess the passcode?

The only remaining function open to her would be emergency calls. She dials 911 and whispers to the operator, describing the suspicious activity of a tall drug dealer standing outside the restroom.

“It’s been ten minutes,” Ferdinand growls, trying not to arouse suspicion. “If you don’t leave now, I can’t guarantee the safety…”

“Sir, can we speak to you for a minute?” Two officers approach the cleaner.

“There must be a misunderstanding. I work for Markson…”

“That may well be the case, but we received a tip…can you please step outside with us?”

Ferdinand debates arguing with the officers but decides not to cause a scene and follows them outside. In the confusion, Delphine slips out of the restroom, hands the smartphone to the store clerk, and runs out the back door.

From the corner of his eye, Ferdinand sees her take off but is forced to answer a few more questions for the officers. A few minutes later, he is cleared and rushes back to the limousine.

“Forget her, we have a flight to catch,” he tells his driver.

Delphine rushes into an empty restaurant, panting with every step, shocked at how easily exhausted she has become. She asks to borrow the owner’s landline and calls her office, the only number she recalls off the top of her head.

“Director Cormier’s office, this is Katie speaking.”

“It's me, Delphine. What time is the flight you booked? Yes, I’m all right. In an hour? I’ll print the ticket at the airport, thank you. Can you have Anton pick me up at the Lucky 8s on Gale?”

“Anton is nowhere to be found. I don’t know where they took him.”

“What? Katie, where are you?”

“I’m at home. They locked everyone out of your office, but I forwarded all the calls to my cell before they pushed me out.”

“Okay, good call. Are you able to look up Siobhan Sadler’s number on my address book and transfer me?”

“Yes, I can pull that up from my computer. Give me one minute.” One thing the doctor had to appreciate about her assistant, she never asked questions about her motivations or plans, offering only her hope that her manager stays safe. Katie transfers the call to Mrs. S.

“Siobhan? It’s Delphine. Listen, we don’t have much time. Ferdinand is boarding a flight to kidnap Kira as we speak. I don’t have Alison’s number, but tell her that they are coming for Helena’s twins and take them to safety.”

Mrs. S takes a moment to process the doctor’s warning. “I may have time to warn the Hendrixes, and I have a good idea where they could take her. But there’s little time for us to leave, I’m afraid. I noticed a few cars circling our home in the past fifteen minutes, and I don’t see how we can escape.”

“Listen to me. You and Sarah may want to fight, but when they come, you need to give Kira up, peacefully. They aren’t there to bargain. At this moment, they have every right to claim her.”

“Then you don’t really understand our family, do you?”

“Siobhan, please. Give me some time, and I’ll do what I can to bring her back safely.”

“I’ll call Alison. You take care now.”

 

When Delphine arrives at the Sadler residence hours later, she can tell it is too late. As she rushes to the front door, a gunshot rings out. _Merde._

“You can’t come in, ma’am,” a Markson agent standing at the doorway blocks her.

“I’m a director, I can come as I please!” The doctor barges in and finds Markson agents picking up their dead and placing them in body bags. She spots Mrs. S reclining on the sofa, a bullet wound through her chest.

“No!” Delphine rushes to Mrs. S’s side, staunching the blood around the wound in a futile attempt to save her. _I told you not to fight!_ It takes the doctor all of her strength to prevent herself from losing it and breaking down.

 _Focus!_ She reaches into Mrs. S’s pocket, pulls out a smartphone, and pockets it before the agents could find it.

Just a few feet before them, Ferdinand lies in a pool of blood, a bullet wound piercing his throat. Delphine crouches over to his side and retrieves her smartphone from his suit pocket.

“Step aside!” An agent shouts as Ferdinand’s body is dragged away.

“You’re not taking her!” Sarah screams from upstairs and Kira cries out. The doctor dashes up the steps and sees Director Frontenac standing in the doorway. Both Sarah and Frontenac stand with a pistol aimed at each other’s heads.

Delphine calmly enters the room, touches the side of Frontenac’s pistol, and slowly presses it aside. “That will be enough bloodshed for today.” She walks over to the frightened mother and daughter, who shiver like wounded animals. “Hand Kira over to me.”

“You opportunistic bitch!” Sarah screams. “Alison was right – you were always in the pocket of Neo! They killed her, didn’t they? S is dead! You have Kira’s grandmother’s blood on your hands!”

“Yes she is. I’m sorry,” the doctor replies, and Sarah lets out a wail. “We don’t need to increase the body count today. Sarah…I’m going to take Kira now.” She slowly steps forward and grasps Kira’s arm, but Sarah refuses to relinquish her.

“Dr. Cormier, the police will be here at any moment,” Frontenac says, pointing his gun at the pair again. “She needs to surrender the child now.”

“Why are you doing this?” Sarah holds on to Kira tightly, quaking in fear and anguish.

“Sarah…there is a time to fight and a time to survive,” the doctor says softly. “We’ve worked together before. You know me, and you need to trust me.”

Sarah aims her pistol at the doctor’s head, her hands shaking violently. Delphine looks her would-be assassin straight in the eye, prepared to accept the outcome. Sarah abruptly draws the gun to her own temple.

“Don’t do this! For your child, think of her.”

This time, Sarah reluctantly lets go. Before she can change her mind, the doctor pries Kira from her mother’s grip and walks her over to Frontenac.

“No, Kira!” Sarah shouts and Delphine restrains her before she can rush forward, causing them both to fall to the ground. “Kira!”

“We are working on the endgame. You will have her back…” But Sarah is having none of it. She crawls to the doorway, wailing in agony.

In an instant, Frontenac returns to the room, his pistol drawn, but Delphine stops him. “We have what we wanted. Bring Kira back to Markson.” He lowers his firearm and leaves.

“Sarah, listen to me. I wanted to prevent this carnage. But they have a legal right to Kira…”

“Leave!” Sarah seethes. “You’ve created nothing but pain and suffering ever since you happened into our lives!”

“I want to be here for you. When the police arrive to take Siobhan...”

“Out!”

The doctor does as she is told, and Sarah collapses in tears. The clone takes out her phone and texts Cosima. _S is dead and Markson kidnapped Kira. Whatever you do, do not trust Delphine._

When Delphine steps outside of the house, Frontenac is waiting. “Jules is debating what to do with you,” he says. “In the meanwhile, you’re coming with us.” He opens the door of his sedan. _Again?_

“Your phone?” The doctor reluctantly surrenders S’s smartphone, and Frontenac removes the battery so she can't be traced. She walks a few more steps before an unseen weapon strikes the back of her head. She topples onto the floor as her surroundings fade to black.

 

When the memory restarts, Cosima finds herself in a hazy hotel living room with Delphine strapped to a chair. Slowly, the doctor awakens and the environment shifts into focus.

“She’s awake,” a Markson agent mumbles.

“Leave us.” Rachel wheels herself into the living room, takes out her cane, and ambles towards her subject. “Dr. Cormier, it appears you’ve stirred up quite a PR crisis. Ferdinand is dead and the Hendrixes appear to have been tipped off. And if Frontenac isn’t able to locate the twins, we are going to have ourselves a little problem.”

Delphine looks on in defiance as Rachel glowers over her. The corporate clone runs her hands through the doctor’s hair and locates a scar, a reminder of her failed assassination attempt. She smirks, digging her finger into the wound.

“Tell me this,” Rachel says. “Is there a reason why the _Times_ headline this afternoon reads: _Lab 64 Rumored to Exist in Markson Corporation’s Basement_?”

“I am not the one who leaked it to the press, if that’s your question.”

“Who have you told?” Rachel asks to her subject’s silence. “Playing coy, are you? Very well, we have all day. And don’t believe for a second that your position on the board makes you safe. You’re as good as done as Ian was. After you, it’s Susan and Vijay.”

“And yet we’re still here,” Delphine replies calmly, refusing to reward her interrogator with any hint of fear. “Do you believe the public will just forget what happened once they discover the lab?”

“You value your life so little. But if something was to happen to your fiancée, that would be a pity, would it not?” Rachel smirks. “I sense anger. You’re upset.”

“Why are you doing this? In the end, all you are to him is your blood and your vote. You’ll never have his trust. He knows you’re as reliable to him as you were to his original.”

Rachel scoffs. “When I was at university, I once spent a semester abroad in Japan. It was there that I found myself fascinated with the concept of seppuku. Have you heard of it? Samurai would commit this suicide ritual after failing to fulfill their duties, as a final act of preserving their honor.” She leans over to the doctor’s ear. “If you had any shred of honor left within you, you would kill yourself.”

The corporate clone places a bottle of pills next to the doctor and opens her laptop. “Now, you are going to sign into your account…”

“So you can send an email on my behalf stating my goodbyes…of course, Rachel. And if I refuse…”

“Regardless of what you decide, your employees will be absorbed under my jurisdiction. If you refuse, let’s just say it won’t end well for them.” There is a pause, and the corporate clone lingers over her laptop for a minute, rereading an email.

“Director Duncan.” Several Markson agents enter the room.

“I told you to leave us!”

“You have been summoned to Headquarters, effective immediately.”

Rachel’s assistant walks up to her and whispers in her ear. “Demoted?” She glares at the agents. “Prove it! Have the coward say it to my face!”

An agent brings up the email of Jules’ decree on his smartphone. “You were cc’d.”

“He can’t do this. Such a monumental decision requires a board vote. Who will take my place?” Rachel understood Jules would never believe she could accept a downgrade. A demotion would essentially serve as termination.

“Yes, he can,” The agent corrects her. “Two months ago, you joined the board in granting him a spate of powers, including this. Frontenac will serve as interim COO, Koh will lead the cloning project. Your position as a clone undermines you.”

“They do not understand the science as I do! Mr. Mercer himself is a clone!”

Frontenac appears at the doorway, a smug look on his face. “When you return, the Chairman will explain this to you in person. He thanks you for your service.”

“You’re joking. Am I supposed to greet you as the COO?”

“Interim COO, but yes.”

The Markson agents usher Rachel away and Frontenac unties Delphine. “This has all been a misunderstanding, Dr. Cormier. We hope you understand. In a moment, the police will arrive. You best play along if you wish to keep your staff and your fiancée safe.”

Sure enough, a minute later two officers arrive at the doorway.

“Is this Ms. Delphine Cormier?” an officer asks. “We have a missing persons report on her.”

“I am she. Is anything the matter?” Delphine asks. _Did I worry Cosima?_

“Is there something we should know about, ma’am?”

“Not at all. I need to catch a flight to San Jose, if that is all right.”

“We’ll escort you to the airport.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Frontenac interrupts. “We had a last minute business meeting, and Dr. Cormier simply neglected to notify anyone. We are all planning to return.”

The officers turn to the doctor. “Ma’am?”

Delphine nods in agreement. “Yes, just a misunderstanding, that is all.”

 

It would take a few more hours before Delphine returns and pieces together what had happened. Hell Wizard had approached Katie and together, they traced the doctor’s last GPS signal before her battery died. They linked her location to the hotel, surrounded by a cluster of dots indicating the location of other Markson employees.

“Good thing I sold my Markson stock last month,” the cab driver remarks during Delphine’s ride home from the airport, unaware that she was a director. “Their chairman calmed the waters at the press conference today, but if that lab exists, oof! Their shares are in the gutter.”

In that moment, the last thing Delphine cared for were Markson shares, Rachel’s demotion, or corporate politics. She needed to hurry home and make sure Cosima was safe.


	13. Vultures Descend

_Everyone I care about in my life leaves me in the end. All that I have is the science._

 

“You filed a police report, right? Good…No, I mean, that doesn’t make sense why would she do that? She promised to love all of us and she never breaks her promises…And she’s here now. Okay, stay safe Ali. Let me know if Sarah calls you.”

Cosima ends her phone call with Alison. Fortunately, the Hendrixes were able to deliver Helena and her twins to the safety of a convent. During the call, Alison again reiterates her suspicion of Delphine.

“What’s going on?”

As soon as Delphine walked through the front door, Cosima should have rushed forward and embraced her, grateful her fiancée had returned home safely. On any other night, she would have done just that. But having pulled an all-nighter at the library the day before, she was unaware of her fiancée’s disappearance and had not received any texts from her.

“I just returned from the airport,” the doctor replies. “You all right? Did anyone threaten you?”

“Are you aware that Siobhan is dead and Markson has Kira?”

“Yes,” Delphine sighs in frustration. “I’m sorry, I meant to call earlier.”

“What can possibly be more important than this? Did you know Alison and Donnie were interrogated by Markson agents for seven hours?”

“I knew it was a possibility…”

“If you knew this was going to happen, why didn’t you call the cops?”

“Markson had a legal right to seize Sarah and Helena’s children. They have friends in high places. I know these people, and right now we are not in a position to challenge them.”

“Not even when the welfare of the child is at play?” Cosima sighs. “Is it true? Markson was manufacturing DWDs at Lab 64…and they’ve been experimenting on Leda clones?”

“Yes, but I found out only recently. I haven’t had much freedom to do anything the past 48 hours…”

But Cosima still wasn’t done, her frustrations and insecurities having breached the tipping point. “Are you…still searching for a path to eternal life? Did you ever…save a vial of Ambrosia?” Perhaps Krystal’s admonition had a point, as the doctor had expressed disappointment over destroying all the copies at Camp Revival. “Because if you did, do you know how much danger that places…”

“How many times do I have to tell you I didn’t?!" Delphine exclaims. "What is this really about? Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Aren’t we both doing what we always wanted in pursuit of the crazy science?...Are you jealous of Jules?”

“You think that’s the issue? I am not jealous! But can you blame me for feeling like the only thing you care about is your damn company?”

“Do you know what you’re even talking about? Have you even stopped to ask me what’s going on?”

“I don’t know – have you ever cared to tell me anything? Like the time your boss kissed you?”

“Who told you this?” Delphine asks, exasperated. “What does it matter – I don’t feel for him in that way. He did as he pleased, and I told him it was inappropriate.”

“Okay. If that’s what really happened, then why can’t you be upfront about this with me?”

“If you knew that was the truth, would it have mattered? Why should I bother to explain anything to you when you’re just going to object to whatever it is I do? I have nothing to be ashamed about. Can you even comprehend what I’ve been through the past two days?”

“You don’t have to do everything alone,” Cosima backtracks in an attempt to resolve the argument. “You can be vulnerable with me. But you need to involve me in this.”

“No, I don’t. Do you understand me? I don’t have to involve you, so long as I’m not doing this out of self-interest or violating your principles. This is a war and I need to keep you safe.”

“What war?” the scientist inquires, frustrated at the lack of answers. “Let me guess: you can’t tell me. What happened to you? What happened to us? It was supposed to be you and me against the world, but why do I feel like I’m the only one in this relationship? But you know what? Forget it. I’ve learned not to expect much from you.”

“If you were in my position, you would have done the same," the doctor snaps. "Why doesn’t anyone ever just trust me and listen!”

They stand at a crossroads, with one feeling betrayed and the other misunderstood. Theirs was a relationship conceived by an act of deception, and from this foundation they had tried desperately to build something loving and beautiful.

Cosima could see Delphine the first time she was caught, scared and ashamed, begging her to understand.

_I still thought you were on my side. I wanted to trust you._

_You can trust me…Just listen to me. I didn’t want to fall for you. I wasn’t supposed to. But I have._

_How can I possibly believe that, Delphine?_

_Because you feel it. It’s not a lie, it’s not possible._

Finally, Delphine breaks the silence. “Do you still want to marry me?”

“I don’t know.” Cosima stammers, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m hearing these words leave your mouth, but I don’t know what to think, what to believe. Maybe I’m just not capable of loving unconditionally. I think we should take a break, reconsider our priorities until we can figure out where we go from here.”

“Okay,” Delphine looks to the ground and nods. “I’ll go.”

“Wait – I’m not going to just leave you outside. This is your apartment; I can go back to my parents. Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know – Scott’s? If you no longer trust me, then what is the point of this relationship?”

“No, this doesn’t mean I’m giving up on us! When I accepted your proposal I consider that a promise to always love you…”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that, and just last morning you told me that you love me!” Delphine exclaims. Cosima stares at her fiancée, the woman she held so much love for, stunned. Tonight was the first time the doctor had raised her voice at her beloved since Camp Revival, and an icy silence lingers across the living room.

“I thought engagements should mean something to people, but if it doesn’t then don’t pretend that it does,” Delphine moves into their bedroom, packing a few items from the closet and bathroom. “You don’t have to burden yourself with your noble objective of keeping a promise if you don’t feel that way about me anymore.”

“What are you talking about? Delphine, I’m not going to chase after you if that’s what you’re expecting.” Cosima was accustomed to such theatrics from previous girlfriends.

The doctor picks up a hanger and removes the collared shirt. “You asked me before, how I did it, how I am able to not give a damn what people say to me.” It was a trait the scientist had admired about her.

“Everyone I care about in my life leaves me in the end,” Delphine says bitterly. “My father, Benoit…I should have known better than to grow attached to anyone. They tell me they trust me, they tell me they love me…but who really stands behind their word, their promise?

“So why…why should I burden myself with what they think of me? If they care about me and respect me, then wonderful, but if not, I don’t expect for much. All that I have is the science, that doesn’t argue with me.”

“God, Delphine! I’m not one of those people. I’m proposing a break, not a breakup.” Cosima holds her beloved by the hand, warm tears streaming down her chin. All this time, while she had admired the doctor’s strength she had no idea about her insecurities. “I can’t say goodbye to you.”

“Then don’t say it.” Delphine releases her hand, zips up a small suitcase, and pauses at the doorway. “Before you, there was a man, in Paris. I should have ended it sooner, but for two years he went back and forth. He told me he loved me, but he never could leave his woman. I wouldn’t say goodbye, I couldn’t, because saying those words were so difficult for me, for us. But the delay just ate at the both of us, made it needlessly painful when I finally ended it.

“I wanted to hold out that hope, set aside the cynicism, believe…believe that our love was different than any I had experienced before. But in the end, it’s all the same. No one has ever loved me as much as I loved them.” She turns and enters the hallway.

“Wait.”

Delphine feels Cosima’s arms around her, hugging her from behind, sobbing into her back. The doctor turns around, keeping a straight face, and holds the scientist in an embrace. When she finally releases her, she reaches for her beloved’s left hand and slowly removes the engagement ring.

“What are you doing?” Cosima asks.

Delphine pockets the ring and removes her own band, placing it in the scientist’s hand and closing her fingers. “This belongs to your father.”

Cosima rests on her beloved’s shoulder, and Delphine wipes away her tears and kisses her on the forehead. “If you need me, I’ll still be there,” the doctor whispers before breaking away.

_I need you._

Cosima should have run after her that night, she knew, just as she should have chased her down the night her beloved was shot in the Dyad parking lot. Oh, how she had beaten herself up in the months afterward, worrying every night if the doctor had died, unceremoniously and alone, and regretting she had not done more.

The scientist should have set aside her pride and begged her beloved to return. She should have held her, assured her that her life was valuable, and promised to love her for as long as she was capable of loving.

Instead, from her bedroom window Cosima watches Delphine enter a cab. The scientist buries her head in her hands before turning to her laptop. Her dissertation defense was the next morning, and she was going to need to pull it together. Their relationship would have to wait; there would always be time to fix it. The outcome, however, would be the same: in Delphine’s moment of great need she had abandoned her.

 

The first rays of sunrise radiate through the window when Cosima awakens to the ring of her smartphone. _Delphine?_ She glances at the caller ID. It's Sarah.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry about Mrs. S and Kira,” Cosima says. “Why didn’t you pick up? Where are you?”

“I’m at a truck stop in Reno, charging my phone,” Sarah replies, her voice tired and raspy. “I’ll be in the Bay Area in a few hours. Is Delphine at your place? Can you swipe her security badge for me?”

“No, she’s not here and…are you driving all the way over with nothing but the clothes on your back?”

“Well, can you bring a gun aboard a flight?”

“Jesus, Sarah! Are you here to rescue Kira? Look, this whole Lab 64 debacle is all over the news, and I don’t see how Markson will weather the media shitstorm. We may be able to get her back soon…”

“Are they taking Kira to the lab?”

“We don’t know right now. I assume they would have shut down the lab by now, if it does exist. Listen, why don’t you come over to my apartment and get some rest? I’ll leave the key under the doormat."

Cosima sighs. "My dissertation defense is in a few hours. Hold off on barging into Markson guns blazing for just one day. Do you want to make an orphan out of your daughter? We’ll discuss how to save Kira when I come back.”

When the call ends, Cosima stares at her smartphone. Would Delphine at least send a text to wish her luck on her defense? Did she even remember, or care? The only message of luck is from Dahlia. The scientist sighs and rolls back to bed.

 

***

 

“No, no Scott, this is getting ridiculous,” Cosima thinks. “How could any of this be possible? Memories are known to be unreliable…”

If Delphine’s memories were true, that would have meant the doctor was berated and abandoned after her traumatic discovery of the missing Leda sisters, doomed attempt to save Mrs. S, and near-lethal interrogation, all while being poisoned slowly to the brink of death. It was an unfathomable amount of guilt for the scientist to stomach.

“Our extraction of them, yes. But the Moirae doesn’t lie,” Scott replies. “Let’s run through the night before Delphine ended up in the hospital. What happens after she leaves the cab…”

“No, let’s not,” Cosima thinks. “Fast forward to the next day.”

“Did you two break up?” Sarah asks, shaking her head. “Should’ve sensed it. That was her engagement ring on your dresser, wasn’t it? Cos, you don’t just get to leave a partner behind whenever you feel like it. You can’t treat relationships the same way you use the loo: if you don’t like what you did with it, you run off and soil a new one.”

“God Sarah, do you honestly believe I don’t know that?” Cosima retorts. “What about you? Do you want me dissecting over each one of your relationships? You were the one who told me not to trust her!”

“I hadn’t realized she was trying to save us until after our conversation!” Sarah shoots back. “Why did you rush to believe me?! What was I supposed to think? Delphine conspired with Kira’s kidnapping, and S had just died! It’s not my damn fault for trying to warn you!”

“Ladies!” Scott interrupts them. “Do you realize how many hours we have scoured through Delphine’s memories, and we still have nothing about the poison and nothing about who attacked her?! Sarah…why don’t you go to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast? Cosima, we don’t need to revisit that particular chapter, but we still have some work to do.” He fast forwards to the moments after the couple’s argument.

Not wishing to endanger Scott, Delphine had spent the night at a hotel. Her mind is cloudy, her head feverish and stomach nauseous. She struggles to the bed, collapsing over the covers before she had a chance to change.

The doctor receives a text only a few short hours after falling asleep. Cosima walks to the doctor’s bedside and reads the message. _URGENT: Jules and Susan rumored dead. Come to the boardroom immediately. I am sending a cab to your apartment._ Delphine replies with the hotel’s address and calls Susan multiple times, but to no avail.

On her twelfth attempt, Ira answers. “What did you make Susan do?!” he wails.

“What are you talking about?” Delphine asks, trying to stay awake while reclined in the back seat of the cab. Outside, the skies are a pale blue, and the sun had yet to surface. “Is Susan dead or alive?”

“They won’t let me say…”

Delphine closes her eyes, her veins run cold and her breathing slows. “Ira. You can tell me. And Jules? Is he still alive?”

“They’re carving up the company,” Ira stutters, choking in his tears. “Once the press discovers their demise so soon after the rumors of Lab 64…stock prices will plunge. So no one can know before they sell…”

“Who killed them? Ira!”

“Jules…was in a severe state of glitching late last night. Coady was to administer the cure on a tight deadline. But Susan…she didn’t tell me this, but I think she tampered with it. Rachel set her up; I’m positive of it. Jules discovered the cure wasn’t working, and he came for Susan…I tried to stop him.” Ira’s voice cracks in agony.

“Ira, please. Stay with me. We need to know what happened.”

“Jules barged in, straight into her office. Susan locked the door and refused to let me in. I could still hear her…she commands him to stop jerking around, that his excitement would speed up the poison running through his bloodstream. She tells him the Feds are onto him, and if he kills her they will most certainly know something is amiss.

“She was so calm, so poised. She brings up his genetic original, admonishes him for reacting to his self-awareness with reverence instead of disgust. And it set him off. It may have been her intent, but he went crazy, tore up her office.

“When I finally broke through the door, it was too late. Jules had strangled her to death. When I pulled him off of her, he had already glitched to death, his face twisted in hatred and anger…I tried to save Susan but it was too late. And then his bodyguards came, and now I’m not allowed to leave the building…”

“Oh, Ira. I’m so sorry.” A tear runs down the doctor’s eye, and her final words to Susan haunt her.

“I think they’re coming back. Susan left something on her desk, like she knew she was going to die. I think it was for you. It read…” Ira smoothes out a piece of paper. “ _I’m keeping my promise. PTO198204322795._ Write it down; I’ll repeat it one more time. _PTO198204322795._ ” He ends the call.

Delphine types the sequence onto her smartphone, wondering what it means. An online search reveals zero results. She places a hand on her cheek, surprised to find it wet.

Susan was right: they were both similar in so many ways. Similar in their pragmatism and perhaps also in their fates.

 

The sun had just risen when Delphine returns to Markson Headquarters and makes a beeline for the boardroom. Katie stands outside the door and hands her manager a manila envelope.

“The board is divvying up the assets and keeping the deaths a secret until they’ve sold their shares,” Katie whispers. “In all my years working for Markson, the circumstances have never been as dire. I do not believe they will survive this. I am not permitted inside, but I’ll wait for you in the office.”

Delphine takes a deep breath and enters the room. The remaining board members are seated with their attorneys, arguing and deliberating over countless stacks of paper.

“Rachel, you are no longer a part of the board,” a Markson agent calls out, but the corporate clone follows Delphine inside.

“I’m her lawyer,” she dismisses him and turns her wheelchair to the doctor. “Dr. Cormier, you’ve arrived in time to claim a piece of the pie.”

“Do you even hold a JD? Your mother is dead, and the first place you show yourself in is the boardroom.” Delphine turns away, shaking almost to the verge of tears.

“Susan Duncan may have abandoned me, but I did not intend for her to sacrifice herself,” Rachel replies calmly. “And for all our differences, I respected Siobhan Sadler. She would have never forsaken her own. Send Sarah Manning my condolences.”

“Of course. Siobhan took Ferdinand off your hands,” Delphine sneers. “If you truly cared for her, you would be protecting her granddaughter.”

“I could engage in your petty argument, but right now we need each other. I know what you want.”

“Let’s be clear, we are not allies,” Delphine scoffs. “I have no compassion for you. Out of everyone left standing, you should have known better. You’re a clone, with no rights of your own! And the manner in which PT tried to kill you…Today, it’s Kira’s miracle eggs. Tomorrow, it’s your magical blood.”

The doctor walks over to Vijay, asking him about Susan’s sequence.

“Looks like an old patent number,” Vijay replies. “Does this belong to Dyad? If so, I’m afraid I only have patents that originated with Markson.”

Rachel wheels herself in front of Delphine and casually turns her head to the right, pointing to Hashem Al-Khatib. The doctor walks over to the businessman and inquires about the patent.

“And what will you give me for it?” Hashem asks.

“It has no use to you. It’s essentially worthless.”

“I require every share, every asset you own, everything.”

The doctor considers the offer for a second, debating if she should negotiate. “Then we need to sign this right now.”

They beckon a notary and complete the transfer.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Hashem sneers with the last signature.

Everything Delphine worked for at Markson was transferred to the businessman. And she was now sole owner of the Leda clones. They belonged to her.

As soon as the ink was dried, the doctor crams the papers into Katie’s envelope. Rachel waits at the door, giving her a slight nod.

“What a quandary you must find yourself in, when the person you tried to kill becomes the one you need the most,” Delphine bristles to Rachel’s silence. “I owe you nothing.”

The other board members continue their negotiations, and Frontenac eyes the doctor suspiciously as she exits.

 

Back at the office, Katie informs her manager that every computer and scanner has been disabled. Delphine uses her personal smartphone to take pictures of every page of the patent. She then emails the files to Alison’s lawyer before placing the papers back inside the envelope.

“I need you to do one more thing for me today,” Delphine says, scrawling Scott’s address on a post-it and handing the files to Katie. “Take the package to this address and slide it under the door. Then stay away from the office until I give you the signal to return.”

“Dr. Cormier…I know it is not my job to ask questions, and I won’t start now,” Katie says. “I only hope that you will be careful and stay safe. And I wanted to say that it’s been an honor working for you.”

Delphine forces a smile to prevent herself from crying. “It’s been an honor to work with you as well. _C'est un véritable honneur._ ” She wraps her arms around her usually stoic assistant.

Cosima almost tears up herself. In what were perhaps her final moments, Delphine had at least one person in this world who expressed grat+itude towards her.

“The hospital called yesterday,” Katie says. “You have an appointment at 9:00 am. If they’re still keeping Jules and Susan’s deaths a secret, they might not let you leave…”

“Let me worry about it. Thank you, Katie.”

“So that’s what it was,” Scott says. “I remember what happens next. I spot a packet sliding under my door and rushed out to see who left it. Katie and I talked for a moment, and I convinced her to pull Delphine’s GPS position and find out where she is located.”

“That’s a breach of confidentiality on her end,” Cosima notes. “But she must have known her boss really trusted you.”

The scientist turns her attention back to the memory. As Katie moves towards the elevator, Delphine notices Hashem dashing down the hall. The doctor leaves her office and stops him just as Katie enters the steel doors.

“The patent I gave you,” Hashem protests. “I’ve been informed it is quite valuable.”

“And you took all of my shares so I think we are equal, are we not? You should probably be selling them before the news leaks.”

Hashem shifts about uncomfortably before turning around. _They knew._ The Neolutionists would not give up the patent so easily. The remnants of Neolution…they would continue onward. They would never leave the Ledas alone. Delphine grabs her purse and sneaks out of the office and away to her appointment.

 

“Scott! Cosima! It’s over!” Sarah returns and shouts into her headset. “Susan and Jules are dead. Every television channel is reporting on it. As we speak, authorities are moving into the East Wing and searching for Lab 64. Markson has essentially zero value left on the stock exchange…if this doesn’t take down the Neolutionists…what’s going on?”

“It’s cold comfort for Cosima,” Scott explains. “Delphine and Susan worked together to expose Markson’s Neolutionist ties and Lab 64. Now Susan is dead, and Delphine is dying.”

“I’m…I’m so sorry, Cos.”

“Go find Kira,” Cosima mutters. “She doesn’t belong to Dyad or Markson anymore. Delphine sacrificed everything for the Leda patent. You, me, Kira…we technically belong to her now.”

“Okay, but she’s not conscious,” Sarah replies. “I don’t want to delve into this, but if she dies…”

“Just go, Sarah," the scientist replies. "Call Alison’s lawyer and save your daughter. Scott and I will take care of the rest. Go!”

“Stop at my apartment first,” Scott hands Sarah his keys. “I hid the patent under the sofa cushion. And I’ll get you Hell Wizard’s number; he might be able to let you into Markson.”

“Cosima, you have to hold it together!” Sarah says. “Find out who did this to her and save her.” She pulls out a letter from her pocket and hands it to Scott before dashing out the door. “Give this to my sister when it’s over.”

“Sarah’s right,” Scott says. “Cosima, now is not the time to lose hope! If Jules, Susan, and Ferdinand are all dead, who could have possibly attacked Delphine at the hospital…and why?”


	14. The Endgame

 

 

_Do not test the patience of a man who has nothing to lose._

 

“That was…so incredible. I didn’t understand like 75% of what you were saying, but I would be very, very surprised if you didn’t pass with flying colors.”

Cosima had just completed her dissertation defense and was craving shuteye when Dahlia ambles up beside her. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for reaching out to Rothman and for always believing I could make it.”

“It’s not hard to believe in someone like you,” Dahlia glances at the scientist’s bare ring finger. “I…guess this is where we part ways?”

“Look, Dahlia, I believe you are a great catch, honestly,” Cosima smiles. “It’s just…I’m a convoluted mess right now. At another time and place, this could possibly have worked. But for now, all I can say is, I hope we can remain friends.” She offers a handshake.

Dahlia looks down and forces a smile, shaking the scientist’s hand. “I can learn to live with that. Do you remember telling me we could grab a drink after this was all over?”

“I don’t quite recall, but it does sound like something I would say. I owe you, and we’ll definitely grab that drink someday. I can be your wingwoman and teach you some moves,” the scientist winks. She gives her lab partner a hug, promising to keep in touch, and bids her farewell.

“Miss Niehaus,” A bespectacled, older woman approaches Cosima. “I’m Dr. Griselda Contreras, a visiting professor from Berkeley. I know your father.”

“Yes, Dr. Contreras, thank you for coming today.”

“That was one of the five best dissertation defenses I have ever attended. I’ve read about your research, and it’s quite remarkable. I know you’re probably exhausted so I’ll make this quick. I usually don’t do this after one encounter, but I would like to extend an offer for a lecturer position at our university. You’ll be asked to conduct research at our facilities, and there’s a good chance this could eventually turn into a professorship. That is, of course, contingent on you receiving your PhD, which I believe to be a foregone conclusion.”

“Oh my goodness, thank you. That’s such an honor. Can you give me some time to think about it, talk to some people first about your offer?”

“Of course, but I’ll need an answer by today or we’re going with another candidate.” Dr. Contreras hands her a business card. “Give me a call by 9:00 pm tonight. If I don’t hear back, I’ll assume you’ve decided to go in a different direction.”

“Yes, certainly. Thanks so much.” They shake hands, and Cosima heads to her car with a wide grin on her face. She couldn’t wait to tell Delphine, but as her thumb hovers over the smartphone, she hesitates. As they stood now, calling her first would only have been out of obligation.

The scientist notices a missed text from Sarah dated several hours ago. _Just got to your flat. Looks like there was a break-in. Nothing appears stolen. Bolting the door and going to sleep._

Cosima calls her sister, who picks up after a few rings. “Sarah, you’re awake?”

“Just had myself a little nap, took a shower and raided your fridge.”

“Who the hell broke into the apartment? Actually, you know what, let’s discuss that later. I just received a dream job offer.”

 

 

 

***

 

Scott fast forwards through the events of the previous morning, focusing on the moments after Delphine secured the Leda patent. The doctor struggles on her way to the hospital and takes a blood test. Her body is weaker than ever before as the poison works its way through her system.

“She’s so frail,” Cosima observes. “And we still have no idea what it was.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the hospital filters her blood for Ambrosia and delays finding the source of her illness,” Scott speculates.

Delphine lies on a hospital bed with an IV drip attached to one arm. With her other arm, she holds up her smartphone, scanning through her work emails and awaiting a response from Alison’s lawyer.

“Ms. Cormier is in this ward…just five minutes since you’re not next of kin,” a nurse says.

“Is this America’s most corrupt hospital or what?” Cosima thinks.

“I’m fairly convinced by now they’re in Markson’s pocket,” Scott sighs.

A half dozen suited men enter the room, with Frontenac standing at the front. “We meet again, Dr. Cormier. Are you aware of why I’m here?”

Delphine presses the button for a nurse, but it does not appear to make any difference. A Markson agent pries the smartphone from her hand, drops the device on the floor, and stomps on it.

“Our business here is a simple one,” Frontenac says in his trademark calm. “Simply sign this document, and we’ll be on our merry way.” He presents a contract stipulating her intent to relinquish the Leda patent, and the notary opens up his journal.

“And keep the Leda sisters chained under the eternal thumb of Neolution,” Delphine scoffs. “I presume I must sign this…or you’ll kill me?”

“We don’t need to go that far,” Frontenac replies. “Your blood test will soon reveal you’ve been poisoned. However, it’s unlikely they’ll discover what poison it is, at least not soon enough to save you. You’re fortunate to have been relatively healthy as of now. But if you were to be beaten to a pulp, why, your immune system may not be strong enough to recover.”

He places a small vial of light green serum by her bedside, its label facing away from her. “If you sign this, you have my word that we will let you stay with Cosima. She can pursue all the brilliant science she ever wanted…working under us. If you value your fiancée, don’t do this to her. Don’t leave her like this.”

“My God…Delphine, no,” Cosima mutters.

“Think of it this way,” Frontenac continues. “The Leda sisters will survive regardless, but you could die. And should you die, who inherits your possessions? You don’t have a will and you aren’t married, so everything goes to your mother. How difficult would it be to convince her to sell us a patent she has no use for?”

Cosima agonizes over the impossible position her beloved had been placed. If Delphine had signed the contract, Sarah would be running to Markson with a useless document. If she refused, the decision could cost her life when in the end, her mother would not hesitate to sell the sisters off.

“Sign it. Please, just sign it,” Cosima finds herself whimpering. “We’ll fight it to the bitter end in court. We’ll argue it was signed under duress, that it’s unenforceable…”

“She’s not one to take chances,” Scott says. “And if she signs it but still dies, that would be the worst possible outcome.”

Delphine looks up to Frontenac and scoffs. “You must not know me very well.”

Frontenac receives a phone call and smirks when he glimpses the caller ID. “Looks like we have your fiancée on the line.” He answers, but his smile drops before ending the call.

“She was not at your apartment this morning,” he waves his phone at her. “But how difficult do you think it would be for us to find her?”

“That explains the break-in Sarah reported,” Cosima thinks, wondering how the dynamics would have shifted had she been found.

Frontenac takes another step towards the doctor. “Do not test the patience of a man who has nothing to lose. You once said that there is a time to fight and a time to survive.”

“I don’t always heed my own advice,” Delphine replies. “You would do well to leave the country. If Susan knew she was about to die, she likely released a list of names of Neolutionists as well as detailed evidence of your crimes. I just have to survive longer than you, although I am prepared if I do not.”

Frontenac smiles. “Very well. It’s about time we completed what we should have finished at Camp Revival.” He escorts the notary outside and locks the door.

“No…” Cosima wanted to scream, her stomach in knots at the realization of what was about to happen. In the end, it would not be her beloved’s alliance with Susan or her discovery of Lab 64 that would lead to her demise but her stubborn refusal to relinquish the Leda patent.

“Just stay where you are,” Scott cautions. “Everything that’s about to happen, already happened.”

Delphine snatches the serum with her left hand before Frontenac drags her by the collar and slams her head against the wall, snapping off the peripheral line of the IV drip. She collapses to the floor and falls into Cosima’s arms as she gently lowers the doctor to the ground. The scientist kneels over her beloved’s body, holding up her hand to block her assailant.

“Sign it!” Frontenac picks up a tray, sending its contents flying, and hurls it at Delphine, who raises up her right hand to protect herself. The tray flies through Cosima’s hand and hits the doctor in the right arm, shattering it.

For much of Frontenac’s public appearances, his demeanor never deviated from calm and collected. But like an unchained animal that hadn’t eaten in days, he displays no inhibitions, his face twisted in anger and hatred.

“Sign the damn papers!” Frontenac kicks Delphine in the ribs, and she lets out an excruciating moan. Cosima could hear the ringing in her beloved’s ears, experience the burning sensation on her skin, wallow in the sense of hopelessness and dread.

“Cosima, it’s not real!” Scott shouts. “It’s already over! Stay back! I’m recording this memory for the police report, and you’re tampering with it!”

It never became more clear than at that moment that there were self-serving people in the world who intended to do her beloved harm. That this could finally be it, the doctor’s number finally called, and this was all there would be to her time on earth.

Cosima gives up trying to fight Frontenac and shields her beloved’s body as Frontenac rams his foot against her stomach. The scientist feels the doctor’s body recoil from the impact, her presence having no effect.

“Sign it, damn you!” Blood trickles from the doctor’s forehead as she drifts in and out of consciousness. Was there no end to this man’s cruelty?

_I’m keeping my promise to love all your sisters equally._

“Delphine, I’m here,” Cosima whispers, holding onto her beloved for dear life as Frontenac pulls the doctor up by the collar and slams her against the floor again. “Please listen. Your life is too precious to end this way.”

Why would Cosima say that she didn’t expect much from her beloved, the one who loved her most? Why would she even tell Dahlia that the only issue standing between them was the timing? How foolish, how childish she had been to aim all her grievances in the wrong direction, when all she ever needed was right in front of her.

Delphine struggles to stay awake, shaking her head as she gasps for breath, choking in blood. She can only mouth her words: _Je t'aime pour toujours, ma chèrie…_

“I love you,” Cosima whispers, refusing to leave her beloved’s side no matter how urgently Scott instructs her. She cradles the doctor’s body, feeling her chest rise and fall, and gently strokes her face. “I love you so much.”

As Cosima immerses Delphine with love, Frontenac surrounds the doctor in pure malice. He takes out his pocket knife and kneeling beside his victim, lightly jabs the tip at her heart. “Last chance.”

The scientist is lying on top of doctor now, feeling her beloved’s heart race below her chest. Frontenac hovers over them and tilts his head while his victim looks on in defiance.

“Very well.” Frontenac brings the knife up to Delphine’s throat. “I have no other option.”

“Simon, they’re here,” an agent remarks. “She’s as good as dead anyways.”

“Hey, what’s going on?!” After an eternity, security breaks through the door.

Frontenac stomps on Delphine’s clenched left fist, forcing her to extend her fingers.

“Cosima!” Scott shouts. “Stay with me!”

The scientist can barely concentrate, weeping into her beloved’s chest.

“Look to your right!”

Delphine opens her fist, revealing the vial with the antidote. Cosima glances over, spotting a white label with a blurry name scrawled on it. She turns her attention back to her beloved.

“Come on, focus!” Cosima cheers her on. Delphine squints her eyes and for a second, the letters become legible.

Frontenac picks up the vial, places it in his pocket, and in an instant, the Markson agents are gone. A team of hospital personnel enter the room as Delphine looks upward, lingering on one final memory, before slipping into unconsciousness. She disappears from Cosima’s arms as the hospital room fades to black.

“That’s the last one,” Scott says. “There are no more memories after this.”

“Physosglimine 26!” Cosima shouts. “Scott, tell the hospital we have the name of the antidote!”

“Great job! Hang on one moment, I’ll find the staff and release you when I return.”

“Wait! We discovered her cure, we found out who attacked her…but we still need to wake her up…I want to stay with her, here.”

Scott sits back down. “I’m going to try something we have yet to test out. This mode will only last up to ten minutes, so use your time wisely. Here we go.”

 

Cosima finds herself lying in the fetal position on the bed in their empty apartment. Her mind is a blur, a swirl of floating memories. She recalls a moment she once shared with her ex-girlfriend Shay while they lie in bed together.

“Do you believe in the concept of karmic lovers?” Shay had asked her.

“What’s that?”

“It follows the belief that every person we form a bond with teaches us something important about ourselves, about life…people define the term differently, but the way I see it is this: you can meet a certain person who your soul starves for, who you can never say your goodbyes to, almost as though you two were truly meant for each other, even when it doesn’t quite make sense…”

“Oh.” As a scientist, Cosima is unsure how to respond. But when Shay explained her definition, she wasn’t the person that came to mind.

Shay had everything Cosima’s mind needed, everything her heart desired. The scientist had never met anyone so compatible with her, and yet her little puppy kept intruding on their lives. It was at that moment she first realized her relationship with Shay was resting on a sinking ship.

Cosima had wanted nothing more than to be the rational scientist, bound by facts and reason, but when it came to her love life she was anything but. Why else would she plunge headfirst into a relationship with a woman she knew to be her monitor and continue to see her in spite of her repeated lies?

“I'm not going to apologize for my heart, okay?” she had once told Felix.

Cosima acclimates herself to the new memory and sits up on the bed. She glances over at Delphine’s empty pillow and picks up a strand of her golden locks. She could envision her beloved lying next to her, comforting her after Rothman’s rants and singing her to sleep.

The scientist walks into the kitchen and smiles, visualizing the doctor in a valiant attempt at breakfast. She paces the living room and finds her reclined on the couch, French magazines strewn across the table. She steps out into the patio and sees her leaning over the railing, her hands folded around a cup of coffee.

Cosima hears the front door unlock and slide forward. She wishes with all her heart that her beloved could return, willing her presence with all that she had.

The door opens, and Delphine enters with a surprised look on her face as they make eye contact. She appears healthy, and her hair is in curls again.

The scientist walks towards her, slowly at first, examining her beloved, uncertain if she could be real. She then surges forward and in her embrace almost knocks the doctor over. Her loyal pup had returned once more.

“I know it’s easy for anyone to say they’ll love you forever when emotions rise,” Cosima stammers, her arms wrapped tightly around her beloved. “But this is a lifelong commitment, a promise. I will stubbornly, jealously, unconditionally love you with all that I have. I know I don’t deserve it, but I am pleading, I am begging you for one more chance.”

The doctor appears confused, and the scientist takes a step back.

“I’m sorry…you don’t recognize me?”

Delphine slowly raises her arms and places her hands on her beloved’s shoulders. “Of course I do. I missed you. Why do you need another chance when there is nothing to forgive?”

Cosima sighs in relief but continues her apology, her voice cracking. “I should have never said those words, made those assumptions, expressed those doubts. I don’t want to spend a single day not expressing the immense love that I have for you. I…”

“Please stop,” Delphine interrupts her, not one for sentimentality. “I don’t want us to be like this. If you always feel guilty, we won’t be even. We are equals. You’re the one I chose. _Je t'aime tellement._ ”

Cosima wipes a tear from her eye, and her voice quivers. “There is something I wanted to ask you.”

“Anything.”

“If you didn’t believe anyone could give themselves to you, in the same way that you give yourself to them, that they all leave in the end, and that no one could ever love you as you are, unconditionally…why would you be able to do this for me?”

Delphine flashes a confident smile. “Because they don’t get to decide the person that I am. And I honestly do love you as you are. Your intellect, your integrity, your cheekiness…I appreciate how you mean what you say, and you stand for your principles.”

The doctor holds her beloved in an embrace, a weight lifted off her shoulders. “Listen, I don’t believe we have much time. I need you to promise me one thing. If I don’t make it through this, you must still continue on living your best life. Fall in love, cherish its warmth, spend your life with the one that makes your heart beat…”

“No, don’t even say that…”

“If you refuse to move on, you will only make me regret ever falling for you. Go on. Live your life with every ounce…”

“…Of passion that you know I have,” Cosima finishes and Delphine nods.

“Promise me this. _Je t'en supplie._ ”

The scientist gazes into her beloved’s eyes. There was no point in fighting her, not when there was so little time remaining. “I promise. And promise me that you will fight with everything you have to survive. Live. There are so many Leda sisters left to cure. Don’t leave me to do this alone.”

“Then I promise to do everything I can to stay alive.”

“Okay.” Cosima takes her beloved’s hands into her own. “Scott, are you with me?”

“What are you talking about?” Delphine asks. “Why would he…”

“Just returned,” Scott says. “Only you can hear me though. What is it?”

“Scott, I need you to repeat after me. ‘Do you, Delphine Cormier, take this woman to be your wife…’”

“What are you doing, Cosima?” Scott asks. “Delphine is very sick right now. This wouldn’t even be legally binding.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just say the words.”

“I can look up the prompt online…And now both of you should be able to hear me. Hi Delphine. Okay…” Scott clears his throat. “Do you, Delphine Cormier, take Cosima Niehaus to be your wife? To comfort, honor, and protect her, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health?”

“I do.” Delphine laughs, tears rolling down her cheeks, and she places her hands on her beloved’s face.

“And do you, Cosima Niehaus, wish to have Delphine Cormier as your wife? To forsake all other women, and to serve, esteem, and guard her, and to love her faithfully for as long as you both shall live?”

“With all my heart,” Cosima beams, her face radiating with euphoria. She kisses Delphine deeply, lingering in the sweet tenderness of her beloved’s lips. In one moment they had witnessed their darkest chapter together, and in the next they were building their happiest. If they were to share one final memory together, this would be that moment.

“Then it is with honor and joy that I declare you spouses for life,” Scott completes the impromptu ceremony with tears in his eyes, moved by the two lovers who gave themselves completely to each other. “May your love endure as you support one another in all of life’s trials and triumphs.”

From the corner of her eye, Cosima sees a bright light envelope the front door before disappearing behind it, illuminating the edges.

“Cosima, I was able to convert that door into a portal,” Scott says. “I need you to convince Delphine to enter. If she does, I think she’ll be able to wake up.”

The scientist nods and turns to the doctor. “You see that shining door right there? You’re going to have to go through it. And when you do, you need to fight with every fiber in your body.”

Delphine flinches, remembering the pain she endured at the hospital, and Cosima grips her hand.

“We’ll do this together,” the scientist says. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

The doctor nods, walks over to the door, and opens it, revealing a room consumed in a blinding light. They close their eyes and enter, hand-in-hand.

In an instant, the light fades and Cosima finds herself walking alone inside a laboratory. “Scott, what’s going on?”

“That’s the end of the trip,” Scott says. “This part doesn’t show up often, but it’s something we’ve developed in our later models. If you go up to those computers, you can actually alter some of your partner’s traits. It works kind of like hypnosis.”

“Really now?” Cosima hovers over the monitors. “What about cooking ability? That would be pretty neat.”

“Not talents. Traits.”

Cosima smiles, peering over her beloved’s character traits on the computer screen. “I think I’m going to be all right. I wouldn’t change a thing. I will love and accept her as she is.”


	15. C'est La Vie

_Is this the way she would have wanted you to live out the rest of your life, mired in regret?_

 

The moment Delphine passes through the door in the Moirae, she opens her eyes in the present time, lying on the hospital bed. If she lived, would she be able to move her body again, and more urgently, would she have somebody to return to?

“Cosima, you are not next of kin and need to leave right now,” Scott warns. He packs up the equipment as the scientist walks over to the doctor’s bedside, where they finally make eye contact in real life.

Cosima opens her mouth but finds herself unable to utter a single word. Where would she even begin? That she was sorry, that she would never leave her again? Would their shared memory in the Moirae be sufficient? She gently touches Delphine’s bandaged left hand.

“Cosima, now!”

Delphine looks on helplessly as her beloved walks backwards toward the door, and Scott ushers her away.

 _Don’t leave me now. You promised to do everything in your power to stay alive. I love you._ The scientist wanted so much to say those words, but they refuse to come out.

As Scott and Cosima sit outside in the hallway, a surgeon notes the patient is a Markson employee. “That company is going under. Will she even have insurance?”

“Whatever it costs, I’ll pay it!” Cosima calls out.

“Who is this?” The surgeon asks one of her colleagues.

“I’m her fiancée. Please…please save her.” A small team of doctors enter the ward and shut the door behind them. Scott holds Cosima in his arms as she bursts into tears.

“Look, there’s nothing more we can do right now. Let’s wait in the lobby.” Scott escorts her to a seat and places a folded piece of paper in her hands. “Sarah gave this to me before she left. It’s for you. Why don’t you rest up, and I’ll grab us some lunch?”

Never before had Cosima felt so exhausted and yet so awake. In spite of her grueling 18 hour journey through the Moirae, she could not experience any rest, any peace…not with the outcome so uncertain. She looks up at a television screen and scans the breaking news chyron: _Markson Stock Plummets. CFO To Speak Soon._

“A look now at the nine board members of Markson,” the news anchor announces with directors’ pictures on the screen. “Chairman and CEO Jules Percival Mercer and Director Susan Duncan are confirmed dead. Former COO Ian Van Lier died from an unspecified illness earlier last month. Sources tell us Director Charles Koh was discovered hanging in his office in an apparent suicide.” Images of all four directors are plastered with the label: Dead.

“Kuwaiti businessman Hashem Al-Khatib has already left the country after dumping all of his shares into the market, triggering the company’s collapse in stock value. Directors Rachel Duncan and Simon Frontenac are currently missing.” Their images contain the label: Missing.

“Director Delphine Cormier is currently in critical condition.” Her image is covered by the label: Hospitalized. Vijay is the only director with a label that reads: Alive.

“CFO Vijay Chatterjee will be speaking at a press conference any minute now, where he is expected to announce Markson’s dissolution and confirm the existence of Lab 64. With us next is Krystal Goderitch, an internet celebrity who claims she was onto the conspiracy months earlier…”

Cosima could hardly stomach another word. Four board members were dead, and there may be yet another to join in their fate. She rushes to the restroom, hovering before a toilet, and vomits, gagging in her own agony. She collapses to the floor, incapable of controlling her own body as it convulses in misery and despair.

 

Running only on adrenaline, Cosima ambles back to the lobby, where Scott is waiting.

“Are you all right?” Scott stands up and helps his friend to a seat. “You’ve been gone for a while. Do you want me to take you home?”

“No, that’s not necessary. God, I feel so useless…”

“Cosima, listen to me. You were brave, you both were. Don’t blame yourself; you did everything you could back there. Why don’t we have some lunch?”

“No thanks, I’m not hungry.” She slowly stands and waves him away. “Don’t…worry about me. You’ve done enough for us already.”

“She’s my friend too!" Scott exclaims. "But right now your actions are not helping! In less than 48 hours, you’ve endured a difficult breakup, the dissertation presentation of your life, hours in the Moirae without breaks, a traumatic assault, and an emotional wedding. Let me help you.”

“The best way you can help me is by going home and getting rest. Just…let me be by myself right now.” Cosima exits the hospital, enters her car, and shuts herself inside before permitting herself to mourn unrestrained. She reaches into her pocket, opens Sarah’s letter, and begins to read.

_Cos, I’ve taken some time to think and I wanted to place these thoughts into writing. I hope, should I make it back with Kira safely home, to present this toast in person when the occasion arrives. It would be only right._

_Cosima, my sister, my geek monkey, my best friend,_

_I speak for all of our sestras when I say none of us would have survived if not for your scientific genius and unrelenting pursuit of the cure. Our journey would have ended on a train platform one fateful night and with it, our hopes, dreams, and loves._

_But we did survive – and thrive – because of you and because of the one you love. Dr. Delphine Cormier entered into our lives under the most unseemly of circumstances, but she was not one bit less tenacious when it came to protecting the Leda sisters._

_Cos, I know I wasn’t alone in wondering how someone as intelligent as you could react so foolishly when it came to love. But I have seen the love you have for her and witnessed the devotion and sacrifice that came with it in spite of the challenges – and there were many. When we believed she died, you persistently fought for her to be remembered. You never forgot or forsake her._

_Dr. Cormier is someone I am proud to call my friend, someone I know who will respect, embrace, and cherish your brilliant mind and beautiful heart. And I want to say that she has as much a home in the Clone Club as the rest of us. From all of us, our greatest love and respect. Congratulations._

Cosima crumples the paper, gripping it hard against her chest. Her sister’s blessing provided little comfort in this moment of great uncertainty. She hears a tap on the window and looks to her right, startled by who she finds.

 

With Hell Wizard’s assistance, Sarah makes it to the top floor of Markson Headquarters, searching for a way to the roof.

“Rachel!” One of the corporate clone’s lackeys shouts over the whir of the helicopter. “We have to leave now!”

Rachel glances over her tablet, at security footage of Sarah desperately forcing her way up to save her daughter. She pulls Kira by the hair in one hand and holds a walking cane in the other. “Just one moment for some unfinished business.”

Right before Sarah can round the hallway and dash up the stairs, Rachel appears before her with Kira trapped in a tight grip.

“Mum!”

“Let her go, Rachel,” Sarah aims her handgun at the corporate clone.

“You think I came down here for you to shoot me?” Rachel sneers. She pulls out her pistol and directs it at Kira’s head.

“No, no no no no. You can take me, Rachel!” Sarah places the gun on the floor and puts her hands up in surrender.

“Kick the gun forward and kneel.”

Sarah does as she is told and places her hands on her head. “You have everything you want, Rachel! Why would you need my daughter? You can leave now and live out the rest of your eternal life in peace.”

“You have no idea what my life is like!” Rachel barks. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret surviving that cursed fire!”

“Whatever you want, I’ll give it.”

“You have nothing I need,” Rachel scoffs. “But you’re close to someone who has something of value to me: The Leda Patent.”

“Well, she’s not going to give it to you.”

“I know. But if she lives, Sarah, promise me she’ll emancipate me first.”

“She will, all of us. I’m a woman of my word.”

Rachel grips the pistol, pressing the muzzle against Kira’s head. “Turn around.”

“Rachel! Please!”

“Turn around, Sarah, and walk. Count to thirty, out loud, slowly. Do it!”

Sarah turns around and obeys the command. “One…two…three…” At thirty, she quickly turns around, only to find that Rachel has fled. In her place, Kira remains, shivering in fear and clutching a manila envelope.

“Kira!” Sarah rushes to her daughter, hugging her so tightly they topple to the ground. “Mummy loves you.” She kisses her on the forehead. “Did they hurt you? Did they touch you anywhere?” Kira shakes her head no. “Oh thank God. We’re going home.”

 

Tapping against the car window, Alison smiles and waves, and Cosima reluctantly unlocks the door.

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?” Alison asks. “Sarah texted me, and I booked the very next flight.”

The scientist nods blankly but refuses to make eye contact with her sister.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

 _Save it._ “Why did you come? To prove you’re the one who yet again is always there for me? Delphine put her life on the line to protect us, time and time again, but what does she even matter to you?”

“I am trying to have a conversation with you right now. I’m really trying here. I know the pain of loss can feel almost impossible to surmount alone. But she’ll live on inside of you. I know you’ll carry on in her memory. She was a great person, I’m sure…”

“Please…don’t refer to her in past tense,” Cosima snaps. “Not yet. It’s still too early for me…the last real conversation I had with her, we fought. Our last fucking conversation. And I wouldn’t hear her out, I wouldn’t chase after her…”

“Is this the way she would have wanted you to live out the rest of your life, mired in regret?”

“Well, she isn’t exactly here right now to tell me her thoughts on the matter, is she? I know how irrational, how delusional love can transform some people, but I swear…” Cosima can barely speak but forces herself onward. “It’s her. It was always her. I will always love her.”

“Okay,” Alison nods. “Nothing to be ashamed about, loving someone.” She reaches over and holds her sister in her arms.

 

***

 

A week later, Cosima passes through a row of tombstones for the funeral. She spots Sarah and reaches over for an embrace.

“You know she adored you,” Sarah whispers.

“I know. She loved you so much as well. I held the highest level of respect for her. We’ll keep her legacy alive, you and I.”

When they finally release each other, Cosima sighs. “I know today shouldn’t be about me, but I can’t help but feel guilty for all of this. If I hadn’t copied the Black Book, then Jules wouldn’t have become self-aware and maybe none of this would have happened…”

“Oi,” Sarah shoots back. “There you go again. Jules is an arse who would have done the same with or without the book.

“When the authorities raided Camp Revival, the first thing they did was cut the wires to the loudspeakers, and you know why? PT had a plan, written inside of that book, to convince all of his followers to take their lives in the event that they were found, so that none would testify against him. He would have relayed that command on those speakers, but he couldn't and countless lives were spared. Because you found that book and we published its contents.”

Sarah sighs, looking her sister in the eye. “Were you ever able to reconcile with Delphine?”

“I would like to believe so,” Cosima replies, wiping a tear from her eye. “We spoke through a memory we created, but I would like to believe I was speaking to the real her.”

“That’s good,” Sarah pats her sister on the shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze before gesturing to Alison, who stands in tears and holds a bouquet of flowers in her hands. “She wasn’t the only one you needed to talk to. Alison is still your sister.”

Cosima nods and walks over to Alison. “She didn’t deserve this,” her sister mutters.

“I know,” the scientist replies and wraps her arms around Alison. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for us. I know everything you did came from the best of intentions.”

“I’m glad you finally recognize that. We will carry on.”

Cosima smiles. “Delphine once told me, that in spite of all the uncertainty in this world, we should live our best lives now, no matter what happens or who tries to take that away. I don’t want us to be at this standstill. Let’s start today.” Alison wipes a tear from her eye and nods.

The scientist picks up a carnation from her sister’s bouquet and gently places it on the grave. _I won’t ever forget you._


	16. Mysterious Works of Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This began as a reimagining of OB Season 5 with _[Follow the Crazy Science](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11437494/chapters/25630233)_ , and this chapter will conclude the journey of _Beyond the Crazy Science_. The story of Cophine has been impactful in so many ways, and it was a joy to delve into various facets of their relationship. Thanks for following along, and I hope you enjoyed the trip! -CJR

_All that I know, back then and right now, is that this feels right._

 

Before Delphine lost consciousness, reeling from Frontenac’s blows, she remembered her final moment with Cosima before an assassination attempt at the Dyad parking lot. Years earlier, the French doctor had been waiting anxiously outside Alison’s soap shop, unsure of how their interaction would play out. Did her beloved even wish to meet her again? In the months following the breakup, their relationship was steeped in distrust and misunderstandings.

Delphine had just given Shay her blessing to take care of Cosima, unaware the couple had broken up hours earlier. Even if the scientist hated her now, she still deserved to have someone there to care for her, to love and watch over her. And with the Leda original found, the sisters would soon discover a cure, the doctor was sure of it.

And now here she was, standing before the one she loved the most. Theirs was a romance doomed from the start, and she would have to accept this truth regardless of what her heart insisted. The wonderful moments that they shared, did they all mean nothing to the scientist? When Dyad was done with her, she would exist only as a memory. She hoped it would be a good one.

But at the very least for one night Delphine was able to make her peace and reconcile with her beloved. It hadn’t been her intention, but when she heard Cosima apologize she couldn’t help herself. She had to reach over and kiss her, one final time, soothe the pain of accepting that they would never be. The doctor had never felt more broken in her entire life than she did that night. But from the way Cosima kissed her back, she knew. She was the one the scientist chose.

She could have spoken up, professed that all this time, her heart still belonged to Cosima, if her beloved would have her again. But given her circumstances, Delphine understood she did not have time to say much more than her goodbyes.

_Give your sisters all my love._

It was an immensely difficult moment, letting go in order to grant her beloved the space to move on while she met her fate alone. She drove away, stopping only at a red light. Was that Cosima reflected in her side view mirror? No, even if her beloved came after her she would have to keep going.

The sound of footsteps would signal her end in the Dyad parking lot. Delphine dropped her purse, turned around, and faced her would-be assassin, her expression betraying any hint of fear.

_What will happen to her?_

A shot fired, and she crumples to the pavement. As she hovered in and out of consciousness, blood seeping through her desperate fingers, a woman with Cosima's face appeared before her.

 _Cosima..._ She tried to call her name, reach out and touch her face, but it was growing more difficult to breathe by the second.

 _Hey, it's going to be okay_. She could feel Cosima's presence next to her, smiling as she covers the doctor's wounds. _I'm proud of you, you know that? You were so brave._

Delphine whimpered, the warmth of her blood escaping to the pavement below. _Cosima, I'm sorry. This is not how I envisioned it would end. But you belong with Shay. I am nothing more than a reminder of the lies and betrayal..._

Stay _with me now. You can't leave me, not like this. You promised to always work to protect me, remember?_

_There's too much blood. I can't, Cosima...there is no time._

_Just breathe. You're going to make it. We won't let the bastards win, not this time._

A group of men surrounded her, applying pressure to her wound. Whether or not she would awaken was an open question.

This was how their story would end, how their story was supposed to end. The rest was just borrowed time…

 

From the airport, Cosima’s thumb hovers over her smartphone, debating whether or not she should make the call. She takes a deep breath and summoning her courage, she dials the number.

_You’ve reached Shay Davydov-Porter with Essence Spa. Leave a message._

Cosima hears the beep and sighs. There was no backing out now. A minute later, she enters the cab and her phone rings.

“Hello Cosima,” a soft voice greets her from the other line. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has. Look – I know what it might seem, but I swear this is not me begging you to take me back.”

“I’m married now,” Shay sighs. “So whatever it is you want to say, it’s too late.”

“I know. You don’t want me back, and I accept that.”

“It’s been so long since we were together, but there is something I wanted to tell you. Of all my relationships, ours is the one I’m most confused by. What came between us? Everything we had made so much sense: emotionally, physically, spiritually. But you didn’t want to live that way. You threw it all away for some crazy French woman…I just needed to get that off my chest.”

“Fair enough,” Cosima replies. “I agree what we had made perfect sense, and I totally deserved those words. I’m calling you because I thought you deserved an explanation for what happened all those years ago. You’ve heard the news recently about Markson’s collapse? That corporation bought out the Dyad Institute, where Delphine and I both conducted lab experiments…”

As Cosima finishes her explanation, she experiences a wave of relief wash over her, having finally reached closure with Shay. She had always felt guilty for how it ended, the way she kept her ex-girlfriend in the dark.

 

The cab pulls up to the apartment complex, and Cosima makes her way up the stairs. She trudges across the hallway, fumbling with Delphine’s engagement ring in her pocket. She turns the lock of her apartment and opens the door.

The scientist sees her beloved, sitting alone on the sofa, scribbling into a journal. Before her are piles of papers stacked on the coffee table.

“I heard you were discharged early,” Cosima smiles, setting her backpack down.

“Yes, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for Siobhan’s funeral. I wanted so much to come.”

“We understand,” Cosima takes a seat next to Delphine and carefully places her arms around her beloved. “I missed you. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not accustomed to healing so slowly,” the doctor says. Her body is still covered in bruises, and her bones are still healing. She picks up a stack of papers from the table. “You know, when I signed the documents I actually ended up obtaining all the Dyad patents from 1981-1986. Could I interest you in an antiandrogen cream that promotes ear hair follicle growth?”

“Why not?” Cosima shrugs. “So what other shenanigans have you been up to?”

“Ira took me to Susan’s funeral service this morning. I wanted to be there, to remember her. There weren’t many people, just the two of us and a few of her employees.” Delphine recounts her conversation with Ira.

 

“It’s a pity,” she told him, laying a flower at Susan’s tomb. “This woman has done more for scientific ethics than anyone and spared us all from further tragedy, yet she remains virtually unrecognized. Susan understood that wars must end quickly, and she finished it. She kept the Ledas safe, as promised.”

“We must remember her. We must,” Ira sniffled. “Susan could be harsh at times, but she looked up to you. She really did. She thought of you more as a daughter than Rachel could ever be. Perhaps that’s why you felt she was so demanding.

“I…wasn’t originally planning to disclose this, but in her final hour, she stood up to Jules. Told him how ironic it was for him to admire the Tower of Babel yet believe he could avoid the fate of its builders. She was the one who kept him in his place, to protect us all.”

 

Delphine turns to Cosima and smiles. “I don’t believe I would have survived the assault if I hadn’t felt your presence with me that day.”

“But you did,” the scientist replies. “I wasn’t actually there. You saved yourself.”

“Then it was the last memory, the one we created together. When I made you that promise.”

Cosima nods. “I trust Scott debriefed you on my travels through your unconscious. I wasn’t supposed to interfere in your memories, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“So when you were sifting through my memories…did you look up ex-lovers?”

“No, why would I?”

“I know, that would be…ridiculous.” Delphine rolls her eyes.

“Although Scott did pull up that moment in Paris when you accepted Benoit’s proposal.”

“Yes, now that I think of it you were with me on the metro right before he proposed, weren’t you?”

“Not in actuality. My first trip to Europe was with you last year. But that’s the extent of my mingling…I can’t believe that was your happiest moment.”

“Well, it was the first time I believed someone truly loved me and would give all of themselves to me. But, it turned out to be a lie. He told me I was his one and only, no doubt something he had told his wife.

“That’s when I learned never to trust a man who forgets he loves you as soon as you’re not in bed with him. And not to mess with another man’s woman. I was depressed at the time it ended, but it was not the moment of my greatest despair.”

Cosima leans against the couch and looks her beloved in the eye. “Delphine, if I have not made myself clear, what I did to you was misguided and wrong, and I apologize. I totally understand if you don’t want to marry me anymore.”

A pause. “Okay.”

 _Okay?_ “Wait. We are still getting married, right?”

“I don’t know,” Delphine replies, casting a devious glance and sinking into the couch. “I can’t just fall for someone who only appreciates me when I’m dead or dying…”

“But…you promised to always protect me, and to love all the Leda sisters…”

“And I still intend to keep that promise…”

“You already said ‘I do’ when we were inside the Moirae!”

Delphine shrugs. “You were talking to an unconscious woman…”

Cosima opens her mouth, chuckling nervously. “Look – okay I’m really, really sorry for what I’ve done, but please don’t torture me like this…”

The doctor laughs. “Maybe if you ask me nicely.”

The scientist manages a determined look, drops down on one knee, and pulls out Delphine’s engagement ring.

“This is my vow and my truth. I will cherish you in all of your beauty and in all of your faults, and I hope you will do the same in mine as well. Dr. Delphine Cormier, _veux-tu m'épouser? S'il te plait._ ”

After another long pause, Delphine leans forward, looking Cosima straight in the eye. Finally, she cups the nervous scientist’s face in her hands and presses their lips together. “ _Oui mon amour_.”

Cosima lets out a sigh of relief. “Are you done giving me a heart attack?”

Delphine nods. “I suppose I could give you this, then.” She returns Cosima’s engagement ring. “I had Scott and Katie engrave a message inside.”

“You sent them together, at the same time? Playing cupid, are you?”

“They have to listen to me; I’m their boss. Or rather, I was. They’re out on a date as we speak.”

Cosima turns the ring over in her palm, reading the letters etched inside. “Why does it say _YOU’RE MINE?_ ”

“What? That’s not what I requested.” Delphine takes the ring and shoots her fiancée a bemused look. The message read: _All My Love._

“I love it, thank you.” The scientist slides the ring back on her finger. “And this is where it'll be staying. I also added an inscription in yours.”

“ _All Of Me_ ,” the doctor reads and almost chokes up. It was the one sentiment she believed no one could ever promise her.

Cosima places a hand over her beloved’s leg. “I want to be the first, and the last, person to tell you that. Every day. I love you with all that I have.”

Delphine puts on a brave face, restraining the impulse to cry. “Speaking of ownership, I emancipated all the Leda sisters, starting with Rachel, as Sarah requested.”

“Thanks for gritting your teeth through that one.” The scientist returns to the couch.

The doctor pulls out one piece of unsigned paper: _NiehausC 324B21_. “But this one I still want to keep.”

“Really now? You know it’s unconstitutional to own slaves in this country.”

“I know,” Delphine flashes a mischievous grin. “Scott told me you had the option to change any character trait of mine at the end of your journey, but you decided against it. You could have made me smarter, more diligent, better…and you didn’t?”

“I love you as you are, and I trust you.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” Delphine takes out a pen and scrawls her signature at the bottom of the page. “Here’s an early wedding present.”

“And thank you for emancipating me. Three universities, two dissertations, and one defense later, I’m finally done with my PhD. Let’s talk wedding.”

“Didn’t we just have one?”

“Yes, but I want us to celebrate with the Clone Club too.”

“Very well. But can’t we have someone else plan it for us?”

“I’m sure some of our friends might have a few ideas.” Cosima gently grips her fiancée’s wounded left hand. “So…what’s next? I mean, we’ve spent the past few years running for our lives and resisting Neolution, and we finally have the chance to lead a peaceful life, one where we and our loved ones are not constantly under threat. We have freedom.”

“Well, Vijay is working on repairing the damage at Markson, but he told me he’s planning to start his own company and wants me to work for him. I asked him if I could start in a year, and he said that would be fine. That is…if you’re okay with it.”

“He does realize that every company you’ve worked for has gone under in large part as a result of your efforts…”

“He actually joked about it, but he said that if his company should ever head in Markson’s direction that’s just what he’d expect of me. I’m sorry to hear it was too late for you to accept the Berkeley offer.”

“It’s fine. They told me it’s highly likely there will be another opening next year. Growing up, I didn’t think I’d become a professor like my parents, but it looks like a career in academia is in my future.”

"Well, I think a year off would be perfect timing because…” Delphine pulls out a manila envelope. “I know Sarah already told you, but Rachel left this with Kira before she fled…the names, addresses, and contact information of every living Leda sister. They’re going to need someone to cure them. How about it?” She grins.

Cosima smiles, scanning over the pages. “I think this would make for one heck of a honeymoon. We better start preparing our visas and a playlist. But then the question of how to pay for it…”

“I talked to Alison’s lawyer,” the doctor replies. “The hospital is prepared to approve a million dollar settlement if I don’t take them to court. I’m also entitled to a whistleblower reward from the SEC. And maybe some of these Dyad patents might be worth something. I think this could help, that is, after we pay for the wedding and your tuition.”

“That’s awesome. Thank you for always thinking of us.” Cosima kisses her fiancée on the cheek. “But do you think we can trust Rachel?”

“As much as we’ve had our differences, I don’t believe she has any reason to hunt us down. She’s free now, to live her life on her own terms. I hope she finds peace and leaves us alone.”

Frontenac would also be out of the picture. After threatening Dr. Koh’s family, he was arrested on the way to Lille in the off chance that Delphine might die.

Cosima laughs and shoots her fiancée a mischievous look.

“What is it?”

“I can’t get over the fact that you thought young PT was hot!”

“That was Dr. Duncan’s way of spicing up the test tube. Come on!”

Cosima grins and gently wraps her fiancée in her arms. “Are you completely certain, out of all your loves, that you want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

Delphine nods, stroking her beloved’s hair. “All that I know, back then and right now, is that this feels right.” In the end, all she wanted was her bespectacled science geek with a cheeky sense of humor.

The scientist holds her fiancée’s hands and kisses her. “I, um, talked to Shay, finally, today. I explained all the things we’ve kept from her.”

“Did you tell her about us? How’d she take it?”

The scientist smiles and recounts the conversation.

 

“By the way, I have one more thing to tell you,” she had told Shay. “Delphine and I are engaged.”

“Your psycho ex. You’re joking. Tell me that you are.”

“I’m absolutely serious. You’re invited to the wedding if you want. You can bring your wife.”

“Maybe I’ll just send a bouquet,” Shay laughed. “Thanks for calling.”

 

***

 

_Six months later…_

It was a clear, sky blue day when Cosima and Delphine were finally married before their friends in the Clone Club. Despite their best attempts at makeup, Delphine’s wounds were still visible across her face.

“How do I look?” she had sheepishly asked her fiancée.

“Beautiful,” the scientist replied without missing a beat. “Perfect.”

Cosima’s parents proudly escorted their daughter down the aisle. Delphine’s parents never responded to the invitation, but Scott was more than happy to oblige in walking her to the altar.

Cosima nearly broke into tears watching her beloved approach her, but she kept it together long enough to reach out and hold her hands. Donnie officiated the vows, asking if the scientist would marry “Delphine Cormier and her magical hair” and if the doctor would take “Cosima Niehaus, PhD in Experimental Evolutionary Developmental Biology” to be her wife.

Sarah served as the Maid of Honor for both ladies as Alison and Helena assisted as bridesmaids. Sarah had recently passed her GED examinations and was living with Kira while Felix moved with his boyfriend to New York City to pursue his artistic dreams.

Katie attended the wedding as Delphine’s guest, the last item on her agenda before moving east for Harvard Business School. Her new boyfriend, Scott, plans to join her a few weeks later with a job lined up at a Boston Medical Center.

 

It was now an hour past midnight in Australia, with the pair traveling on a highway winding along the coast. Delphine mans the wheel and lifts a cup of coffee to her mouth, trying to stay awake while Cosima sifts through their playlist.

They had wanted to explore the beach that afternoon, but their final clone turned out to be a lot more than they expected. In between accusing them of proselytizing for a religious cult and denying her identity as a clone, it was a miracle she even allowed them to inject her with the cure. But she turned out to be a charitable host, even inviting them for a late dinner.

And now the couple was heading to the Cairns Airport, where they would grab a few hours of shuteye before catching a layover on their way to Brazil. If they stayed on schedule, they could hopefully reach all the Ledas within the year, inoculating them before it was too late. It was a race Scott had dubbed: The Team Science Megaforce Cure the Leda Sisters World Tour.

Cosima furrows her brow, placing a hand on her forehead. “Maybe if I cut down on all those library visits, we could save a few days…” She had hoped to fulfill her library bucket list.

Delphine places her left hand over Cosima’s right, giving it a light squeeze. “We’ll find them.” The scientist smiles.

“ _Tubthumping?_ ” Cosima raises an eyebrow. “Who picked this playlist?”

“Turn up the volume.”

“You seriously think this is music? They played this in France?”

“I’m driving, so _Tubthumping_ it is.”

“Oh, all right.” As they sing along, Cosima notices glimmers of electric blue light crashing along the shore. “I…I can’t believe it. Look.”

Delphine glances over. “What is that?”

“Bioluminescence,” Cosima breathes. “It’s present throughout nature, but to have so much light illuminating the ocean surface all at once is remarkably rare. I never thought I would get to see it myself. It’s unreal.”

“Then let’s go.”

Delphine drives off the next exit and they sit along the shoreline, entranced by the endless sea of neon blue dots under a clear night sky. Cosima explains the phenomena (“luciferin from the planktonic microorganisms undergo a chemical reaction, releasing light when triggered by the catalyst”) as the doctor remains transfixed, mesmerized by a sense of wonder.

Cosima leans into Delphine’s chest, appreciating how her beloved’s body was always warm. The doctor wraps her arms around the scientist and kisses her on the temple.

“Thank you, for making this journey with me.”

“Of course. I promised to love you and all your sisters.”

Cosima looks out into the ocean. “You know what? Let’s go in.” She stands up and moves forward, facing the shore.

“Wait.” Delphine follows, taking off her shoes and rolling up her pants.

“Come here, my love,” Cosima outstretches a hand, and they wade into the cold water as the ocean breeze caresses their skin.

The scientist bends down and splashes the waves with her other hand. Bioluminescent droplets trickle down her arm, sparkling as they return to the sea.

“It’s like magic,” the doctor mutters.

Cosima stands up and takes her beloved’s hands into her own. They had fought for the right to love one another, to be comforted in each other’s arms. A lifetime together would not be sufficient to express the love the scientist held for her wife.

As they stand face-to-face, Cosima is reminded of her wedding speech at the altar.

 

“In spite of all the uncertainty, you loved me, fearlessly, unrepentantly,” the scientist had proclaimed before the Clone Club. “You showered me with the love you deserved but never received when it was so easy to give in to cynicism and leave me behind. But you never wavered in sustaining and nourishing me with a love that was pure and unconditional. And for that I am so very grateful.

“I am under no illusions that our commitment will always feel fulfilling or come easy. There will be many times when my love for you is lacking and imperfect. That’s just human nature. But if anything should ever come between us again, may I always find my way back to you.”

 

Cosima leans forward, wrapping her arms around Delphine’s waist. She smiles as their lips meet, delighted that with every kiss they shared she would explore another aspect of her beloved.

“Ours is a transcendent love that’s only just begun,” Cosima whispers, recalling the final words of her wedding vow. “There are many things in this world I can’t promise. But what I can promise you is this: I will always give you all of me, in everything I do. You are the one I love.”

Delphine closes her eyes and rests their foreheads together, whispering simply, “ _Et tu es l'amour de ma vie._ ”

Their journey would take them past winding country roads, remote villages, and bustling city streets. But for now, this silent moment was theirs alone, the first of many in their explorations of the crazy science.

 

_The series concludes in:[After the Crazy Science](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13914243/chapters/32022618)._


End file.
